problems

Okay, the quote that I was looking for that led to the last post was the one about how "If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back."

I think it is really true. Why is that? Are we just used to our problems and know that we can handle them (because we HAVE been handling them) and therefore they are less scary than someone else's problems?

Who is to say which problem is the worst? Is having an abusive husband worse than having extreme agoraphobia? I mean, I wouldn't want either, but having never experienced either, I can't say which is worse.

I don't think they can be compared. Which is good. Because it isn't a competition. Sometimes it seems like it is. You hear one person say something crappy that happened to them and the other person tries to top it.

Are we trying to be empathetic? Letting them know that they are not alone in having problems? Are we just sharing our problems to get the sympathy because we feel that will help us?

All I know is that no alien race will ever be able to understand humans, because humans don't even understand ourselves.

I'm just in this weird state of mind lately where I feel like I don't have any problems.

Don't get me wrong, bad stuff still happens, but I can easily deal with it and thus it doesn't feel like a problem. And it isn't that I don't care. I do. I care a lot.

So I was sitting here thinking about what "problems" I have...

- I have debt

- I have an unreliable income based on commissions so on days like today when I have no clients, I don't make any money, which makes it hard to budget and pay off bills

- my mom is not in great health, though she is currently cancer free so I'm not complaining

- Mike's mom is not in great health, she had surgery yesterday but it went well so I am not complaining

- I watch my friends and family struggle with things/jobs/people that make them unhappy, but for the most part, that is their struggle, their life, their thing that THEY need to do something about, not me- and I know it will all work out

- I get cold sores on my upper lip- total pain in the butt, however it is mostly manageable

- I get frustrated that I can't turn the stories in my head into wonderful stories on the page

- I don't always like my boobs and my body- but a lot of times I do

- I'm not very good at sticking to a diet and then I get mad at myself

- I can't afford amazing vacations, a car, cable, a dog or a nice apartment... but those are all sort of extra things that would be nice, not necessary things to make me happy

- I don't have a good singing voice, which doesn't really deserve to be on this list, but it is the one thing I would magically change about myself

But other than that, I totally am loving my life. All those things are easily made up by these things....

My anti-problems:

-my small, little apartment feels safe and "like home."

- I absolutely adore my fiance and he treats me really well

- I have a job that I love

- I have friends that I love

- I love my family and they are super supportive

- I love Mike's family and they get along well with mine

- I'm smart

- I'm athletic

- I'm attractive

- I have the world's best chef as a fiance

- I'm self confident

- books--- they make everything better! And I'm a good reader

- I no longer have depression

- I'm able to pay my bills on time and have a roof over my head and food on the table and everything is copacetic

- I'm good at finding things to laugh and smile about every single day

So, there you have it. I'm sure some more real problems will crop up again in the future. So thank you, Universe, for this little reprieve.