Taken For Granted-Part 1

I wrote this previously, but accidentally posted part 2 over it so this is slightly different from the first draft and the points may get a little convoluted now that the sequel has preceded it. However, the points still stand. Hopefully, this version will be even better because revisions are supposed to be better.

There are many things every day that I take for granted. Earlier this week, I had my day planned probably a little too much and I felt like nothing was going right. I got so upset at one point I threw a croissant away. As I was walking down the street I realized how many homeless people I see every day that would have been more than thankful for that food. I thought about the number of people who would have appreciated it if I had saved it to give away later. Just because I didn’t want it doesn’t mean someone couldn’t have benefited from it. This isn’t unusual. Every day we make decisions that could hurt others. It’s what we do about these that define who we are as people.

At any time, everybody is struggling with something. I am fortunate. I know I am fortunate. There are very few things I need to worry about. This is partially because I have chosen to arrange the controllable events in my life to minimize struggles, and partially because I am extremely fortunate. I don’t worry about money because I have a steady income and I save. I don’t worry about how things are going to get done because I make sure I budget my time. However, I still have struggles. At times these struggles seem enormous. At other times my struggles seem insignificant. This is true for everybody. There are times when people are going to be struggling with an issue that seems impossible to them, and sometimes these may seem ridiculously silly to an outsider. Think about what you would want, regardless of your opinion on the topic.

As a society, we need to focus on others. We need to focus on others because we are a society. We cannot be completely self-absorbed because that doesn’t benefit anybody but ourselves. We are not isolated from everybody else; we are not isolated from world events or even nation-wide events because of location borders. And when we respond to these larger society events we need to be respectful. We cannot assume that people do things out of malicious tendencies. It places distrust in those around us that we cannot afford. However, we can’t assume that nobody is to blame because there is a problem we cannot ignore.

When we discuss the problems facing us in this world, we need to remember a few things:

1. Be respectful. Your words and actions have consequences.
2. Think before you speak/act. Think about the people you love and care about as well as your values.
3. Be informed. Understand what you’re speaking about.
4. Be responsible. Take ownership of what you’re saying and doing.