Sometimes I feel really bad for whining about my
problems. My issues don’t hold a candle
to people with REAL problems, so how can I complain when I have it so much
better than they do? Even a lot of
people I am close with have much more to worry about than I do. All in all, I have things pretty darn easy,
and I will be the first to admit it.
But then I think… when does a problem become worth whining about? (Honestly never because whining is a language
reserved for pre-pubescent tweens and newborns who are hungry or have soiled
themselves, but ignoring that…) And then I go back to this pyramid of needs I
learned about in high school, or middle school, or all-the-time school, or
something. As each level, starting with
the bottom-most, is filled, one can move up to a higher level. But if something goes wrong on a level below,
the upper levels are temporarily forgotten.
/Creativity, Morals, Fun\
/Self
Esteem, Confidence, Respect\
/Relationships, Friendship, Sex
n Stuff\
/Health, Family, Money Stuff
(security), Home\
/ Food, Air, Water, Internal Body Stuff
for Existence\
I don’t think it bodes well for my offspring that it took me
two minutes to find the “ \ ”. Also
making that pyramid took way too long for how it turned out… Class break well
spent.
Anyway. Whatever
level we happen to be on (and they change all the goddamn time) is what level
your worries will be most occupied with.
If you’re living on the streets, you’re not gonna be worried about
getting a six-pack; you’re gonna want that pizza you found hanging out the lip
of the trash bin. If you’re drowning,
you aren’t gonna be too horny. If you
have your health, basic living necessities, friends and family who are in good
health, and some decent self-esteem, your worries might consist of what some
people would call trivial things: Not liking that last oak tree you decided to
add in to your masterpiece painting.
But this is understandable; it’s how we function. And, looking back at my crappy representation
of the hierarchy of needs (it’s Maslow, btw, for the 0 of you who care), I
realize that everyone, no matter what level they exist on, has one thing in
common:
We are all alive. If
you can read this, you are alive. If you
are going through a tough break up, you are alive. If you are living day-to-day, you are
alive. This whole “living” thing is
something that a lot of people have not had the good fortune to experience for
very long. Being in my 20’s I realize
that so many people have lived much shorter lives than I… even though I feel
that mine is just beginning.
Every so often I have to remind myself to stop worrying
about my shit, whatever level it might be on, and enjoy my goddamn sandwich.
No comments:
Post a Comment