Perspective of Difficulty

"I don't usually do this, but..."

When I waited tables, this was the LAST thing I wanted to hear.  It was my experience that someone who says that, usually DOES complain.  And they prelude it with this statement every time.  You can usually tell, because they are EXPERTS at it.  They know just how to slightly intimidate you and when that doesn't work, they ask for the manager and try to push him/her around.

Unfortunately, someone who wants a free supper because their steak wasn't cooked to order probably walks around feeling that they are entitled to preferential treatment in many aspects of their lives.  They drive around the parking lot looking for the best spot, vie for "poll position" at stop lights, and get really irate when they have to wait in line behind more than 1 person at the store.

This is an over-arching theme in many of our lives.  Complaining.  Whether a mild feeling of annoyance at common things, or despair over a variety of life's issues, the bottom line is complaining will do no good.

Feeling overwhelmed is a sure start to my whining diatribe. When the buffer of my physical and mental computer is full, there's no way but out through the mouth-hole.  This is usually most evident on Wednesday nights about 9pm.  After a full day of daycare, home school, meals, diapers, and clean-up...then a full evening at church working with children...we get home with sugar amped little cretins that need to go to bed.

I kick toys, and try to clean the whole house while complaining about how everyone leaves their crap around the house and nobody ever helps me.  I think bout how I much I hate volunteering my time, home schooling my kids, hell - I even think about selling a couple of the bad ones.

But, by morning, everything is cool again.  I feel re-booted and the buffer is, again, empty and awaiting download.  But how much better could life be if I skipped that part?

How much better would I feel about my Wednesday night, if I looked at it through the eyes of my Thursday morning?  Or, how much better would I feel about my whole crazy, exhausting week if I looked at it through the eyes of my Saturday morning?  Life is pretty sweet when the kids are chomping cereal and watching cartoons and I'm propped up in bed with the latest Runner's World.  Even Monday morning doesn't look to bad from there.

Everyone has problems.  We all have to wait in line, pay a fee that seems unnecessary, and deal with fatigue.  It's how we react to it that makes the difference in our lives.  I'm not suggesting that we walk around giggling,with a dazed grin on our faces.  On second thought - it might help.