I was on the phone with my Dad* last night, telling him about my dog’s pending surgery. He and my mom were giving me a lot of sympathy- which I really thrive on. This time though, I didn’t really need it. I feel so bad for poor little Ramona Quimby, the stoic sufferer of a torn doggie ACL. It’s unfortunate and intimidating to know that I’ll soon be facing a dog who can’t play and at least a two thousand dollar vet bill. The thought of Ramona dying of a freak operating table accident makes me break out into the sweats.
But the truth is, this is a small price to pay for an easy life.
My Dad expressed surprise when I told him that last night- I think I complain so much my parents don’t think of me appreciating my easy life. Despite petty complaints and massive tragedies, I know I’ve got it so good.
A few thousand dollars to keep my animal companion healthy and happy is just a fraction of what it costs to live in our post-modern world. I don’t have to hunt and kill my own food. I don’t have to fish or farm or bake bread or darn my socks or have my teeth knocked out by a barber when they rot because there’s no toothpaste or toothbrushes. I don’t have to needlepoint or know my place or only speak when spoken to. I don’t have to worry about being attacked by a bear or a snake or get malaria or poo in a hole I dug in the ground.
All I have to do is show up at my office and do my job, take care of my husband and my dog, keep in touch with my friends and family, exercise, keep my brain stimulated, and try and sleep 8 hours a day. Sometimes items from this short list require extra effort or monies, but that’s nothing compared to brewing beer because there’s no potable water.
So my poor pet probably needs an operation. But I’m grateful that an operation is an option, because I don’t think I could take her out to the field and shoot her ala Of Mice And Men.
* My Dad has expressed an interest in being included more often in my musings. He wants his life to be more of an “open book” according to my interpretation of a recent conversation.
I love to see you recognizing all the positive things in your life. The last 10 months made it anything but possible.
i love this post. agree with bluestreak – and appreciating thing in our lives is something we could all do a little more!
Just found this blog, I’m intrigued by your optimism and hope that it will be contagious, as I find myself ever so pessimistic. Where you find solace in the fact that our modern lives are easy relative to the past, I find that free time to be utterly unwanted. Kind of like “idle hands are the devils playthings.” I seek to fill my time to avoid the utter purposelessness of the world. Again, glad I found the blog and a different perspective!
This is a great post. I do love the optimism and bright-side-ism. Also, I plan to refer to this whenever I feel societal pressure to darn. And I am going to pretend you also say I don’t need to can my own food.
I darn…sometimes…wonderful thing my mom moved 7 miles away and she hates idle time, so she does mending and altering for me ‘n my family. Anyway…good attitude…one of my mantras is, “What did they do in the olden days?” Not the most correct grammar, but you see my point. Also, I’ve lived in the “country” where one does have to worry about poisonous snakes. When frolicing in the woods in Hawaii on vacations – where there are no snakes!!! – I felt joy in reminding myself, “No snakes, no snakes, don’t have to watch out for snakes!” Have a good day, dear!!!