I was driving home from work today (well, my temporary home) and feeling sick and miserable. My bemoaned thoughts were filled with, "Oh my gosh, I have to go and shop for groceries at this time of day. There is going to be no parking" "This traffic is terrible, yip, there's going to be no parking." "I am SO tired of moving every few weeks. I want a home." "10 points to me: There IS no parking anywhere and yes, I am still homeless."
After buying some fruit and other Vitamin C-induced goodies, I drove past a man selling The Big Issue on the side of the road. I politely declined buying his magazine as he coughed and spluttered his way towards me. That's when it hit me: I may be a tad sick but at least I was visiting a doctor in the morning. This guy probably wouldn't be able to afford the health care I have become accustomed to, if he sold a few hundred of those magazines. I drove off and thought of his circumstances. I wondered whether he had a permanent place to live or if he was homeless, in the true sense of the word? I was thinking that my idea of homelessness - not having a permanent address but moving from one friend's house to the next - was probably very luxurious to what he was experiencing. As I parked my car in front of my temporary abode, I realised that I had just wasted half an hour being very unthankful. For a start, given the harsh economic times that the world is facing, I am so grateful that I have a job. This employment means that I can afford to buy groceries and luxuries such as fruit, fill my car with fuel and get from A to B (even in traffic!) and yes, if I have to pay for parking, I have 5 bucks for that too. It's true that being a nomad these last few months has not been fun. Living in a single place for longer than a few weeks has become a luxury that I never knew I had, once upon a time. Fortunately I have amazing friends and family who have come to my rescue and given me some amazing places to call home for a few weeks at a time.
I reckon thankfulness is something that works inverse relationship with privelege. The more priveleged we become, the less thankful we are for what we have. Thus, it's something that has to be worked at intentionally - we have to intentionally train our minds and hearts to be thankful. The by-products of a thankful heart are amazing: contentment in life's circumstances, an appreciation of the small blessings we have and an earnest empathy for those facing true hardship. Let's face it: if traffic and parking space are the biggest problems I am facing, life can't be that bad...
