My computer totally died this weekend: Suck it up, princess.

[GirlinContempt]

So, after many many hours in the OR, my hard drive kicked the bucket. I lost pretty much everything. TONS of work I didn't have enough space to back up. But, at least the computer is up and running again.
I was pretty upset earlier. This means doing a crapload of extra work. Work I've already DONE. But, as I was sorting through some old CDs seeing if I could find anything restorable, I stumbled across some pictures from my travels. And it hit me: "Suck it up, Princess"

Walking through favelas, slums, shanty towns, rows of open mud huts, meeting people who live in a poverty I can't ever fully understand, something struck me. Maybe it was the friendliness, the hope, the uncomplaining spirit in so many of the people I encountered, maybe it was just culture shock, but I was totally ashamed of myself. And I felt that way again today.
There are people out there, in my personal experience MANY of them, who were born with nothing, and live their whole lives with nothing (material). They never have enough to eat, no electricity or clean water, no windows or doors on their houses, and no one to help them. And yet, they invited me in, talked to me, were cheerful and uncomplaining. It made me think about all the crappy things that have happened in my life, and my reaction to them. The way people I know react to things, even BIG things. There is no real perspective. That doesn't mean don't get upset when things are bad or that these things are meaningless, but that people I think need to re-evaluate their situations. My situation? Not so bad. In fact, comparatively, not bad at all. Even if I lost everything I own, it can't compare.

I guess seeing a small child fishing through a garbage dump for scraps of wood and cardboard to rebuild his 'house' that burnt down does that to a person.


These aren't mine, I still don't have a functional FTP client, but they're similar

[EstimatedProphet]

1. Wow

I knew I liked your posts for a reason. You just brought home the reality of life for so many-a reality we all too easily forget in our consumer-driven society.

[GirlinContempt]

2. Glad you enjoyed it

:blush:

[asthmaticeog]

3. Perspective.

Thanks.

[GirlinContempt]

4. Anytime

[no name no slogan]

5. I know that feeling too well

My old hard drive cashed it in right before Christmas, and I lost of bunch of stuff I never backed up, including some digital photos from many years ago that I didn't have copies of. But OTOH I don't have to worry about a place to live, getting enough to eat, or looking for a job.

[GirlinContempt]

8. Exactly

[sundog]

6. good post

thanks for sharing

[GirlinContempt]

9. You're welcome

:hi:

[dolo amber]

7. Fantastic post

I think a lot of us forget how lucky we really are to have what we have, even if it's not a) ideal or b) what we once had. Thanks! :hug:

[GirlinContempt]

10. Very very true, and to add

As you may have read, today I learned I lost my friend. Going over my memories of him, he was dying. He KNEW he was dying. He had a couple of horrible, destructive illnesses, and yet he still lived what was left of his life with joy, and uncomplaining spirit. He used his strength in the face of tragedy to bring joy and love in to the lives of others as well as his own. I aspire to be that brave.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

11. A most enlightening post.

By the way: the barraco (hut) to the right of the picture is parttly made with a right-winger electoral propaganda sign. I know it because his voting number begins with 25 (the PFL's number).

By the way II, the sequel: I've said it before and I'll say it again, plane fares suck ass. :hi:

[GirlinContempt]

13. Yeah I noticed that

about the sign.

When I was in Belize, walking down the road, passing mud and straw huts, one of the people I was with said
"Hey, they don't have a TV" (you could see in, no doors or window panes)
I said: "What would they plug it in to?"
She gave me a blank stare.
Me: "Mud hut. Dirt road. do YOU see any power lines?"
Her: "So they live without electricity?"
*smacks forehead*

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

15. Ouch. Who were you traveling with, GWB? -nt

[GirlinContempt]

16. hah no, just a ditz

;) :P

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

22. Speaking of ditzes

D'oh. Only now the full implications of your post dawned on me. Now I'm flooded with your wisdom. If you catch my drift.

[GirlinContempt]

25. ?

[ghostsofgiants]

12. This post deserves way more attention than it's getting.

[GirlinContempt]

18. Hah okay

[ghostsofgiants]

21. Seriously...

Perspective can be sorely lacking around here sometimes.

[GirlinContempt]

26. It can be lacking everywhere

[TreasonousBastard]

14. I hear ya, and...

I have lost everything I owned once in the past. Actually, I gave it all away simply because it didn't mean anything at the time.

Again last week I was out of work and an inch from homelessness, but it almost didn't matter. I've been there before and always managed to get out of the pit somehow.

Through the ups and downs there has always been someone in much worse shape than I've been in and the difference is that some just can't climb out of the pit. So, in the down times, and even most of the up times, my biggest worry is not about me, but how little I can do for the others left in the pit.

Poverty and suffering is only part of the problem-- the destruction of hope is the real problem.

[GirlinContempt]

19. I hear ya

[Beer Snob-50]

17. fantastic post!

i would love to print it and then post it on my companies bulletin board and then bring it home for my family when everyone is bitching about something stupid injustice in our lives.

[GirlinContempt]

20. Glad you enjoyed it

[RandomKoolzip]

23. Great post.

By the way. "Suck It Up, Princess" was my prom theme.

[GirlinContempt]

24. Thanks dude

*imagines you in puffy pastel pink prom dress*

Uh, brb :yoiks: