It's really not so bad after all

Sometimes I use this space to embark on semi cynical diatribes and rants against all that is evil, unfair and corrupt in the world, and God knows there is lots to rail against.

At the same time, that’s life. We still (at least here in the western world), despite our travails, live in the best of all times for the greatest number of people since the beginning of humanity. Individual examples of crappiness don’t take from that basic fact.

Furthermore, I’m assuredly not a cynic. I love life, and love and the whole damn thing, and I think (despite a few episodes in my life history that have been utterly wretched) I have been preternaturally blessed. On this particular day I have a nice home, a life-partner whom I love and she loves me, an ability to put meals on the table; I have (as far as I know) decent health, no hideous habits, my sanity, am reasonably presentable and clean (clean is good), and I further know how to read, write and cipher, have a basic understanding of the laws of the land, and know what my obligations and rights as a citizen happen to be.

Not so bad, all told.

At the moment I have been requested to tabulate the findings of a two months’ study by a group of citizens, and commissioned by the mayor, looking into homelessness in the community. I have to turned this all into a handy-dandy publishable report by the end of February. In this, I have been looking at life’s realities for some people: the mentally ill, the addicted, the mentally challenged, the physically ill, the jobless and the working poor who literally have no idea where they might be sleeping tonight – on a generous friend’s sofa, or under the bridge. What, and you want to feed yourself or your children? You want heat and light?

My God, how awful such a life would be. And, all I could think was, holy shit, am I ever fortunate. Am I ever blessed.

And, in my denial of cynicism, I’d also like to say there are actual human beings that I admire immensely. People who perhaps have also come to believe that they are blessed and therefore would like to (or have in the past) extent themselves beyond their personal realms and areas of privilege to do for some others what those others may not have been able to do for themselves.

My personal heroes and heroines are too numerous to mention, but I personally know, and know of, individuals who put me to shame in their altruistic impulses to ‘give back’ in gratitude for the good hand they’ve been dealt.

Not a bad thing to do. It’s a kind of attitude of gratitude. Do you have heroes, either globally or in your own neighborhood?

Of course, none of this means that I won’t whine and bitch once in a while. But, that’s only because there are people who should be set straight about their own greed and self-indulgence.