I know many bad events have been happening lately in the United States. Shootings, a crazy presidential election, racism or even bad events that happen in a regular daily life. Getting fired from a job, not getting the job, low paycheck money or even missing out on other things because you're working a full-time job. Even though there are everyday events that aren't exactly great, we're still lucky to be living in America, compared to some places with poverty like Cambodia and India. So when you're feeling like "Wow, living in the U.S sucks" here are six reasons in descending order why it's not as bad as it seems.
6. We get to shower with warm powerful water. Don't you just love a warm pressured shower after a long day's work? Or maybe even in the morning to wake you up. You see... not everyone has that. Something as simple as a shower is great, but not everyone can appreciate that. When I traveled to Cambodia, they would have to use water from the rivers and haul it up the hill and use that to bathe in. It was a luxury at my hotel that I got a giant pot full of water to pour on myself with the little to no pressure water I received as my shower appliance.
5. I love snuggling up with my dog and being able to come home to my snuggly tail wagging friend. When I see my little dog sleeping safe and sound, it warms my heart. In places like India and China, there are dogs everywhere. Thin to the bone, and it just breaks your heart. We are so lucky that we have the ability to care for these animals, and be able to give them the lives they deserve. In other places, you'll see dogs and their pups huddled under buildings just to keep cool from the blasting sun. What's unfortunate is that these animals are homeless. We're lucky to be given such a delight like our dogs.
4. Do you ever feel like you should've gotten paid more this week? Or even that you deserve a raise? We should feel lucky we're being paid at all. Some restaurants here in the U.S, we're lucky if we can even find something on the menu that is under four dollars. In places like Cambodia, if you even have twenty dollars, that is a luxury. In a restaurant I went there, they had food that was one dollar a plate. Imagine that, getting ten plates of different food, all for the price of ten dollars. We are rich, and even though it may not seem like we're making a profit. Think about how much your ten or maybe even one dollar, could mean to someone else living in a third world country.
3. We've all had that moment where we just wanted to stay in bed and not go to school. Where we wanted to skip because we thought none of this "stuff" we're learning in school was ever going to amount to anything. What about the kids who want to go to school, but never will because they don't have the programs, the resources or the money to go. Have we ever really thought about that when we pretended to play sick? I didn't. I still forget to remember how lucky that I am attending a University, while others if you simply don't have the money for books, uniforms, and supplies, they have to forget about school, and go to work, even when they're young.
2. Having a job. I am so lucky that I have three jobs, and am able to write for you guys every week. I am lucky that I can choose my hours, what days I want to work, and do jobs that I don't particularly dread going to every time I clock in. When we went on a tour to the floating village in Cambodia, we had a driver bring us in a "Tuk Tuk" (almost like a taxi for Cambodia), which is pulled by a motorcycle. I'm sure this man didn't particularly want to stay there all day, but he did. In order to make a living, he drove us around and waited, for at least five or six hours, and do you know how much he made? He only made at least forty dollars. Can you imagine doing all of that waiting and driving, and catering to us, and only making forty dollars? I've paid taxis in the U.S at least twenty dollars for a twenty-minute ride. This man who drove us was incredible, and before I left Cambodia I made sure to give him an extra tip for all the driving he did, and to help him to be able to send his daughter to school. Driving around these taxis is what they have to do, during the cold rain, the blistering sun, they have to do it. I don't have to have a job to survive. We are lucky we have jobs that we can enjoy, while other's don't always get that.
1. We are lucky we have people that can care for us, and provide. In Cambodia, I have two family members that have dedicated a huge part of their lives to help others. Their names are Jessica and Steve. What I can tell you is that they have done marvelous work, and are constantly helping families and children in Cambodia. Not everyone has teachers to teach and parents to provide. We are so lucky for the adults and humans in our lives that want to help us. In some places like Cambodia, people just don't know how to care or how to provide, they simply don't have the knowledge or resources, unlike they do in the United States. They have wonderful people like Jessica and Steve, who are helping teach these wonderful beautiful people and children in Cambodia.
In conclusion, even though life isn't always great here, we're still a lot luckier than some people in third world countries. In no way at all am I trying to minimize the issues we have here in the United States, but let's always remember, someone else may have it worse and try to see the light in some of these bad situations. Let's make changes, and always try to stay positive. If you're angry that you're being scheduled to work on a day you had requested off to go to the beach, let's not forget about the people who are working every single day who will never get to have that wonderful beach moment.
