A sense of perspective

cyberyacht

There are numerous whinges on this Forum about dogs, speeding, kids, arrival, departure, loo block closure etc. I share a quote from a book my wife is reading of a traffic warden's thoughts about a tirade about a ticket.

"Get down on your knees! Be grateful! A billion people living on a dollar a day, as many who can't find clean drinking water, you live in a country where there is a promise to feed, clothe, shelter and doctor you, from the moment of your birth to the moment of your death, for free, where the state won't come and beat or imprison you or conscript you, were life expectancy's one of the longest in the world, where the government does not lie to you about Aids, and the only bad thing is the climate, and you find it in yourself to complain about parking? Woe, woe! Down on your knees in gratitude that you can even notice this minor irritation! Praise God for the fact that you resent getting this ticket, instead of rending your clothes with grief because you lost another child to dysentery or malaria! Sing hosannas when you fill out the little green form in the envelope stuck to your windscreen! For you, you of the deservedly punished five minute overstay, you of the mis-interpreted resident's bay area, you of the ignored Loading Only sign, are of all people who lived the most fortunate."

cariadon

So true, we have so much to be thankful for.

JillwithaJay

Wise words in both posts.

 

Spriddler

Or

'My wealth is not how much I have, but how little I need'.

milliehull

Couldn't agree more.

Wherenext

I came across a quote the other day (in the i newspaper) from a certain Mr.Gandhi which basically said that there are millions of people who think that God appears to them every day in a slice of bread, such is their poverty.

I don't think we thank our lucky stars as often as we should, not just for living where we do and having relative prosperity of health, clean water and easily obtainable food, but also about the privations that our forefathers had to endure. Anyone want to experience the plague or famine or polio etc.?

 

jennyc

What a delight to see so many appreciative posts. As CY says, there is an endless stream of people complaining on this forum, without taking the time to consider reality. Thank you for such a positive post CY.

DSB

Agree entirely with the posts above.

David 

Oneputt

From a book by John Lanchester, "Capital"

cyberyacht

I can't decide whether it's very cleverly written or the author has "issues". 

brue

Thanks for putting the quote in context as I thought it was a religious text. Don't know the author but when looking up reviews it reminded me a bit of Dickens and his London observations, I think he got there first. 

 

DavidKlyne

Not sure its the traffic wardens job to be that judgemental

Kennine

I totally agree with the sentiments of the Opening Post. Many wise words contained within. 

Unfortunately that Traffic warden has never experienced the CMC Curtain Twitchers ( Everybody is in the wrong except themselves)  who, according to some on this forum, abound in great numbers on CMC campsites.     

K 

 

 

brue

No exactly, I won't be going down to ground level for one!   

ValDa

The film, Lion, which I just posted about in the entertainment section, was prompted by one time Indian 'Street Child' Saroo's (Serhu) appreciation of his good luck in ending up in Tasmania, having a happy, and fulfilled family life, free from want, and realising that the family he'd left behind wouldn't have that.............. so he went searching for them.   

I continually thank 'whoever and whatever' for my happy, war-free, famine-free, disease-free, poverty-free life!!!  I've enjoyed nearly every minute............. and only wish the rest of the world could have that!