I know so many people going through such angst, heartache, strife and stress right now, that I sure don't feel sorry for those with a litany of First World complaints. Please cram some Perspective Pie down yon gullets.
No... I didn't write this. This was my sister-in-law's Facebook update this evening.
Okay... she's notorious for writing somewhat inappropriate Facebook status updates. Many bug me. This is just the most recent.
Reading this makes me angry. How can someone blatantly disregard and invalidate other people's feelings and issues without understanding context?
Yes. People complain. Obviously, she's no exception. Neither am I. But, just because you're not going through something like an earthquake or nuclear meltdown, it doesn't mean a person's feelings are any less important than any others.
Yes. Perspective is important. Recognising that some of the things we moan about as a society may not be matters of life and death is part of this perspective. However, we can't completely ignore our cultural understanding. Things that may seem small on a global 'worry list' still may be very important within our cultural context.
Everyone has a different experience and is in a different space in their development and understanding of how the world works. You can't invalidate their feelings just because they don't conform to your own.
I have NO idea why she wrote this update... And, I'm not going to ask. I'll just grit my teeth, and hope her words don't reflect what society in general thinks. I'd like to think that people are more understanding of others and not so quick to judge.
