3rd world vs 1st world problems

One first world problem I just now experienced is that I'd started this off as a Facebook status... This thought of mine. And, I realized that I didn't wanna deal with the comments of any sort either yay or nay because I'm feeling cranky and don't want to be "around anyone" even online and so I thought, "I'll just post it over here where no one pays attention to it." 

Highlight.
Copy.

All good, right?

Then, I got distracted!

"Oh look! A squirrel!" 

And, off I went and next thing ya know...by the time I got "here" and clicked, "paste" it said, "No flashing...I totally understand."

Right. I'd sent a message to someone and needed to move a sentence and so I'd done, "highlight/copy" again thus forever losing the four paragraphs I'd wanted to paste here.

Uggg!!!

Total 1st world problem, right?

Such a stupid stupid problem. At least I don't need to put a 5 gallon bucket on my head and walk to the river to get water to wash my dishes, right?

Well...really? Would that be "worse?"

So, here I sit (key word = sit) inside (another key word) my house by myself (key word = alone) typing on this computer and because something didn't go my way I can FEEEEEEL the stress in my body. 

If I needed to put a 5 gallon bucket on my head and walk (key word = walk) to the river (key word = outside) would I...really be worse off?

Sitting inside, alone, doing something I can't really beat...gives me stress. Doesn't give me exercise, contact with the outdoors or other live present humans.

If I could put a 5 gallon bucket on my head and walk to the river...I'd probably run into lots of neighbors and friends...and I'd be strong enough...to put a 5 gallon bucket of water on my head. I'd be outside breathing the fresh air, in the sun, and moving my body.

Would it be a "stress" on me to have the need to go get that water? Sure. But, it would be a whole different kind of stress, wouldn't it?

It would be a stress that would connect me to my world directly and in the present. It would be a stress that would lead to health...not a need for prozac or coffee or wine...

So, maybe I can get up and walk over to my coffee maker right now and add some nice fresh tap water and make a Starbuck's coffee right here in my house...but my skin is pale...I'm not strong...don't know my neighbors...and I'm TOTALY STRESSED OUT while doing it. And, if my coffee maker stopped working...I'd probably react way more poorly to it than that woman who is walking to the river to get her water.

So, whose problems are really "worse?"

I think we associate material possessions with blessing and lacking money and material possessions with being poor...but stand me next to a 3rd world country 45 year old and I bet she knows her neighbors, isn't "stressed out" or angry for no reason...and could carry a 5 gallon bucket of water on her head...and run circles around me while she was doing it...with a smile on her tan strong face...

Do I wanna go off the grid and become a mountain woman? No. Can't. I've been introduced to this world. This is the world I live in now. But, do I think we should try our best to make all the poor poor people in those awful 3rd world countries have more of what we have? Do I think we should try to start them all on the cycle of sacrificing family and community and unborn babies so to have educations and careers and jobs that enable them to have all these 1st world problems??

Not so much.

We think it's so sad that these people live in terrible houses...and work so hard...and have so little material things...

But, we live in a country where people work and work and work and to do so...they sacrifice 1.5 million unborn babies a year...to work and pay bills so they can raise kids and send them to college to do the same thing...And what do we get for this? We've lost community...children...and our touch with the outdoors. 

And, we all now joke how we "need" coffee or we "need" wine to be able to keep doing this...

Our 1st world problems might be more technologically advanced...might be cleaner and shinier...but are really...much worse...because at least in a 3rd world country they work and work and work...and what they get is community, fellowship, family, friends, tan, fresh air, sunshine, and strong bodies.

What we get is weak, fat, sickly bodies that we hate...complain about, sometimes intentionally starve, mark up, pierce, and then put into shape altering under garments, that need coffee and wine to function...We get bodies like that...so that we are able to run to little electronic thingies to get our community and fellowship and friends?

We actually sacrificing our bodies, health, community, fellowship, friends and family in able to work to make money to support this crazy cycle...

And, then we think people who aren't part of this cycle are the poor and needy ones...