I have always tried to be inspiring and uplifting. In fact, I have shared a lot about my own personal and private life in order to show you that I don’t just believe in what I do…I actually live it! This post is going to have a very different tone as I find myself extremely disgusted and disillusioned of late.
For those of you who do not live in the Northeast, let me fill you in. In one week we had an earthquake and a hurricane (well technically when the storm hit it was a tropical storm and not a hurricane). The damage this storm caused was unbelievable! Many towns were just devastated. People were without power for over a week and even as I am writing this there are still people without power! As with any wrath of mother nature, people lost their homes, businesses, all their personal belongings, etc. The damage to roads, train tracks, and bridges was something we have never seen in this area. I need to pause here for a moment to sincerely send out my deepest sympathies to all who lost so much! It is one thing when you see this stuff on TV but when you see it with your own eyes it is beyond comprehension. Now my town did okay. Few fallen trees, power was out, and roads closed due to flooding. It is what occurred after the storm that has me beyond speechless.
The day of the hurricane I had my own trauma (shocking I know). I had been bitten by something while sleeping and woke up with what I thought was a mosquito bite. Long story short a few hours later it was clear that it was much more. The size of the bite area was expanding by the minute and traveling up my arm, I had tingling in my fingers and my arm felt hot and heavy. Off to the ER, I went. One steroid shot and a prescription for a strong antibiotic and off I went. Now those of you who know me KNOW I do not take antibiotics unless absolutely necessary because antibiotics and I just do not get along very well. Basically, I was on my butt for 7 days. I was just too drugged up and nauseous to do anything. I lost a week of work (which in this economy we can all relate to how horrible THAT is). However, I didn’t freak out about it. I have a friend of mine who always says, “It is what it is”. I took the week to rest and didn’t get caught up in all of the things I “should have” been doing. PS, I am fine now and back to my ridiculously hyper self:)
It was at the ER that my present frustration and disillusionment began. While waiting my turn I overheard the woman on the cell phone next to me (actually the entire TOWN could have heard her). Keep in mind this was the DAY the storm hit. She was going on and on about what an inconvenience this was and how they “better” get her power back on and how it took her an extra 10 mins to get where she was going because the roads were closed. I don’t know if I just started noticing it more from that point on or what but everywhere I went I heard people who were irate about not having electricity, they had to throw their food out, and it took them an extra hour to get to work, they had no cell service and on and on and on. I couldn’t help but think to myself, “Are you people out of your frigen minds? People lost their homes, businesses, and everything they own, entire towns have been destroyed and you are bitching about some minor inconveniences!” Seriously what the hell (yes I said it) is wrong with this country? Are we so self-absorbed that we are completely clueless about what is going on around us and to the people around us?
I am not trying to be all doom and gloom because there is always hope in every situation but here I go. We need to wake up in this country! I have a big news flash….this whole economic nightmare is JUST the beginning! Mark my words….we haven’t seen anything yet! We have not even gotten to the worst of it. The things that will be unfolding over the next few years will rock this country in a way you can not even imagine. Again I don’t say that to scare anyone. I say that because we need to wake up and we need to wake up now! Companies are firing people and then rehiring them at half their salary. Banks are stealing houses out from under people and foreclosing on them. If that is not bad enough they are now starting to BULLDOZE those houses because there are so many foreclosures they don’t know what to do with all the houses they are taking. Don’t believe me…look it up! Cities don’t have enough police officers because of budget cuts and as a result, crime is on the rise. And need I even mention the weather….. tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes, fires that rage beyond control, etc. AGAIN I am not trying to be doom and gloom. I am trying to wake people up.
Here is the deal. If you have a home be happy you still have it and haven’t lost it to the bank, a flood, or some other natural disaster (there are so many homes in foreclosure that in NY alone it would take the banks 62 YEARS to foreclose on them all)! If you have to commute an extra hour or two to work because of closed roads, be thankful that you even have a job to drive to as currently over 14 MILLION people are out of work (that figure is as of Aug 2011). If you have to wait at your doctor’s office be thankful you have health insurance because currently, 50 MILLION people have NO health insurance, and another 25 MILLION are underinsured! Am I making my point? And if you are reading this thinking “There is no way those figures are right…get on your computer and do some research!
We need to start taking an active role in our lives and stop waiting for someone else to tell us what to do. We need to start working with our neighbors, friends, and co-workers as a team. We need to stop whining about all the unimportant things in life and we need to start counting our blessings no matter how small they may seem. We need to have some patience and understanding with the people around us. We need to stop throwing a fit about every little thing. We need to stop this entitlement disease that we all seem to suffer from. We need to wake up!
I have said this a million times and I am going to say it again……every morning when you wake up you have the choice to be part of the problem or part of the solution! Which do you choose? I like many of you am going through some incredibly tough times BUT I have to tell you that I truly am the happiest I have ever been! How? Why? It is very simple…I am refusing to allow my circumstances to affect my experiences (I know I have said that before too)! I hope that the next time you have to deal with someone who is being nasty you will consider what they may be going through and instead of attacking them give them a smile or some inspiring words. I hope the next time you go to whine about something you will think about all of those who are suffering so terribly right now. I hope that you will make an effort, no matter what you are going through, to look for all the blessings in your life no matter how small!
Life is not easy. We have many challenges, traumas, and downright horrible stuff we need to deal with sometimes. It is not a punishment or a curse. It is just a part of life. I know in my soul that we can survive these times but I also know we need to come together and we need to come together NOW! If I had a magic wand I would fix all the problems of the world but of course, I do not. So for now all I can do is continue to share what I see, inspire people to be the best they can and comfort those who are truly suffering.
Thats a wake up call. You are right that so many forget how fortunate they are, even when they have little. Many others are worse off. Someone said, “its not what happens in life, its how you react”. I try to remember that. And for the most part I do pretty well. There is an occasional slip, but Im back on track pretty quick. I agree whole heartedly with what you say. I wonder sometimes what one person can do to make the change. But I realize that by my doing the right thing, maybe someone will pay it forward. And if it continues, imagine what the world would be like. Longshot, most likely, but you gotta have faith! Thanks for the wake up, and I look forward to reading more.
Very well said, Lisa Ann!
Did you know that the numbers reported from unemployment do NOT include all those who have run out of benefits due to time allotted and still remain jobless? That figure is much larger than people know ..
I am truly scared for the next generation . I see my kids after they have graduated college seeking jobs and struggling to pay back school loans large enough to be a rent payment .I have said it before and i will always say don’t judge another till you’ve walked in their shoes . You don’t often know the whole story .
GREAT point and honestly I just found out about that the other day!
I suggest that, regardless of what they lost, if they are still alive, people should remember to count their blessings. Then, after they count ’em, they should turn around and BE a blessing to someone else.
yes people shoudl remember hard times many of us are going through and quit whining. My sister, who lives in White Plains, had a similar experience as that hospital lady. Her neighbor kept coming over and telling her how she was screaming at the electric company as to when were they getting power back. My sister couldnt take is any longer and said to her. Do you think you are more important than getting the hospitals , nursing homes and any other places that need it first.. They are doing their best. They were without power for 4 days. At least their homes were one piece and no one got hurt from the storm.
I am in a hard times way and grateful I am still holding on to my house and car. I am worried about finding another job but I am not whining all day. I am trying to stay upbeat and look for solutions to keep myself afloat for now.
I am worried things might get worse but I can plan for today an some for tomorrow.
think positive, get that negative energy out of your system and bring forth the light. It will benefit all of us.
AMEN!!!!!
Marlene’s comment (above) about her neighbor screaming at the utility company really “got my goat” (old expression from my grandmother’s generation).
Late last May, a terrible storm blew down some of our big trees; one of them landed on the utility lines and ripped them off the house. We were without power, phone, and cable for a week.
When the utility workers eventually got to us, they looked absolutely EXHAUSTED. My husband made note of all their names and we wrote to each utility company, praising their workers by name and saying how grateful we were that they did their jobs under very trying and sometimes dangerous circumstances.
We received a thank-you note from each company telling us that many people complained, but few were grateful. How sad is that?
It’s a question of counting our blessings, and it’s certainly a lot more fun than moaning and groaning. Each day is filled with little miracles, and the trick is to recognize them and celebrate their presence in our lives. As someone once said, an “attitude of gratitude” lightens our burdens.
AWESOME! THAT is what I am talking about! THANK YOU for sharing:)
Very well said Lisa Ann! My feelings exactly. Stop complaining and start doing. Things are not going to fix themselves.
Excellent Lisa, we can all use that reminder!!!
Excellent points made by all. I am all for working together and trying to somehow fix this mess. My question is how exactly do we get others to all work together? Maybe we could all start some sort of group to work on ways to fix things… These problems won’t be corrected if we don’t get the word out and come together and work as a team. United we can do something.
For one we need to stop feeding into the media which keep everyone at each other….this is not a Republican/Democrate/Rich/Poor problem…this is a America needs to be fixed now problem. I think we also need to encourage people to get the facts. I am absolutely astonished by how many people really do not know what is going on. Ask questions. Research…..
You are an important part of my life!!!!! You have given me inspiration for years…I believe that a wake up call could help many place there heads back on there shoulders,,,,while others will keep it stuck there!!!! Honestly for them I truly feel sorry:( It will take some people to loose everything to wake up! That is very sad…..I have to ask those who are stuck on themselves, If they ever helped someone in need without someone asking them or needing everyone to know what they have done to help!!!! Helping someone in need does not give people the right to brag about what they have done for a particular person!!! People should help and be done with it:) Someday they will need it….cause we will all need a shoulder or may even have an event that could hit us hard and need a helping hand… No such person is excluded from some short of stress!!!! And to the people who donate to most organizations hats off to you! But I beat if you look right in your own backyard, someone right under your nose needs your help!!!!
Bravo Lisa Ann, You have hit it all on the head..I am one who’s develpement was one of the worst hit in Monroe and was under nine feet of water the day of the storm. I have lost the entire lower level of my home, not a cellar like everyone thinks right away. It is seven finished rooms one a bedroom. EVERYTHING GONE!!! I keep telling myself it will take a long time but in the end I will have a new house. My neighbors who did not get hit as hard were wonderful helping out and still are….cooking for me, doing laundry what ever it takes for me to survive. It is a very emotional and exhausting time for us all. We only have memories of the past all the material thing were destroyed….for all the people who know what is going on there are just as many, sorry to say friends who just dont have a clue because they are so self absorbed and have not even helped me.
I think the problem is self absorbed people cant imagine what I am going throught unless you were here and saw my house in a junk pile all out on my lawn or the inside everything gutted out and destroyed from the water. I will survive because I have already survived so much…….thanks to LISA ANN….you are the best!!!!!
Thank you …thank you ….thank you for being the voice of truth! We need to start looking and counting our blessings! We need to be our brothers keeper.
Very well said Lisa Ann!! I agree with you and I must say that just this morning I had what I thought was a major inconvience when my local Verizon company told me that it wont be until Sunday before they could come and return my cable/ computer and phone service. I went crazy for a while until I calmed down and took a look around me and realized how lucky I am compared to so many people not far away at all who lost so much more including homes and lives!
Anyday I wake up on this side of the dirt is a great day, we need to stop paying attention to the media….they will make you want to suck on the gas pipe if you let them.
Everything that we put out there comes right back so it’s much better to be positive than negative…..everything is just a big circle in life….we need to stop and take the time to help our neighbors as well as strangers…….lets be thankful for what we have and stop all of the bitching and moaning!
Love you LA!!!
Well said Lisa Ann.. I am now living in Tennessee as you probably know. When the floods hit here over a year ago people didn’t complain, everyone chipped in and helped. These people know the meaning of help your neighbor. They still have a ways to go but everyone is pulling together to help who ever is in need. I wish NY would learn a lesson and wake up..