Wednesday, December 5, 2012

First World Problems


If you’re reading this on your iPad or smart phone, you’re probably a person who struggles with First World Problems.  

I’ve spent the past two years as a vagabond, sometimes staying in places with no running water, no air-conditioning or heat, sharing a room with as many as 7 other people and sharing a bathroom with 30 other people.  I've slept on the smelly floor of a dive shop or curled up in the fetal position on a sofa too short for my not quite 6 foot length, or lay awake listening to crowing roosters or car alarms or wailing from the loud-speakers of a nearby temple at all hours of the day and night.





When I'm traveling, I seem to have a much easier time adjusting to these discomforts and shrugging them off as part of the adventure...or the makings of a tall tale to tell later. I’m usually able to convince myself that it’s the trade-off for having an amazing lifestyle...trotting around the globe for the sheer joy of it, taking photographs for my own enjoyment, reading for pleasure, writing for fun and lapping up the incredible experiences that fill my charmed life.

I thought I had become pretty adept at letting go of expectations and not being too attached to creature comforts, but for some reason when I returned to "civilization”, I found myself feeling irritated about the smallest things.  Incidentally, I could make a pretty strong argument that what passes for civilization in the First World… instant gratification, decadence and over-consumption of every description, obesity, heart disease and an ever-increasing diet of reality TV and anti-depressants…isn’t really civilization at all.

When I'm whining about running out of breakfast cereal, I try to remind myself of the many people I’ve met during my travels who struggle daily with not having enough food to eat.  I bitch to myself about the barking dogs in the neighborhood where generous friends are letting me stay in their home, while on the other side of the globe there are people I've met who live each day hoping that they don't step on a land mine left behind from a forgotten war.  


I think of the the Kenyan taxi driver who sleeps in his car or the Cambodian parents who have to decide each day whether to send their kids to school during the day or out onto the streets at night to sell trinkets...or their innocence…in order to make ends meet, and I realize that most of the things that annoy me definitely fall under the category of “First World Problems”….








For example:

1.  When I play “Words With Friends” on Facebook I have to sit through a 15 second ad before I can make my next move.



2. The car my friend loaned me for free is hard to park and gets poor gas mileage.


3.  One of the places I’ve stayed (for free) since returning to the States was a luxury yacht, but to go ashore I had to step down at least three feet and walk two and half blocks to find anything to eat.  There were so many choices it was really frustrating.  

4.  I have so much music and so many photos , TV shows and movies on my computer that when I try to do a backup I get an error message that says there’s not enough room on my external hard drive.

5.  I recently got a sinus infection and when I went to pick up my prescription, I had to wait in line for at least 10 minutes at the pharmacy.  Plus, I really need to blow my nose, but I'm completely out of Kleenex.

6.  I’m not supposed to wear my new Invisalign braces while I’m drinking coffee or red wine, which makes it really difficult to wear them enough hours a day for them to actually straighten my teeth.

7. When I go to my rowing lessons in the morning it’s really chilly.  Sometimes the temperature is in the high 40’s...Brr!

8.  At my favorite coffee shop they don’t always leave enough room in the mug for milk.

9.  The “home” button on my new iPhone is harder to press than on my previous iPhone

10. Too many friends have treated me to so much food that all my clothes are too tight.  And scheduling all these meals and happy hours takes a lot of time.

For more First World Problems visit: http://first-world-problems.com