My time on the streets of Athens, GA has given me the chance to process a lot of information. My conclusions come without bias and foundation, and are based upon experience. The loss of regular media coverage over the last ten years has afforded me an objective point of view. Though, my objectivity is still limited in that it is a contained experience from just Athens, GA. I will confess that to you up front. So, my views on "street life" may be different than my conclusions, or the conclusions of those who live on the streets of big cities. However, I have "walked" the streets of Atlanta, San Francisco, and New York in a completely different role, wearing much nicer clothing and have met street people from those places as well, just in a much more limited capacity. In other words, I never slept on the streets of those places. Or, for that matter, in the dust of Ethiopian poverty...
But, it was one Sunday morning I was "walking" the streets of Athens when I came upon this bar that was holding church services. I've shared this before, but it was spurred on again this morning with the weather turning cold and the challenges of that time, especially for street people. Regardless of your station in life, and where ever you are... in a small town, or the big city, generally speaking we suffer from first world problems. It was at this church in the bar, someone spoke that morning complaining about one such 1st World Problem, when she couldn't get a signal for her cell phone. A friend of hers had to make her realize it, but she did and she shared the fact with the rest of the attendees.
So, this morning after repeating the idea to someone else when something happened, I decided to make a list of other 1st World Problems. Please share your other ideas too because this is by no means an exhaustive list, just a few I scratched down last night and this morning.
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you find a seat for the 5 Bar in Athens, GA for the annual Thanksgiving Feast, open to the community! It is truly a 1st World Problem!
Other 1st World Problems:
1. Not only is it a major 1st World Problem when you can't get a signal for your cell phone, what is additionally, and equally frustrating is when your cell phone battery dies!!! This is such a 1st World Problem that people in the third world would think we are from another planet if they witnessed us being upset by this "problem" of a dead cell phone battery! A dead battery on a car is one thing, but these days, if you can't call AAA too, then you're up the old creek... which is to rely on someone passing by, the old school way of dealing with a dead battery on your car. These days people are so filled with fear and paranoia, many would just sit there and sulk before asking a "stranger" for help... another 1st World Problem.
2. Number two, and these aren't in any particular order, but it is especially frustrating when you open your refrigerator and you're out of ketchup!!! I actually hate ketchup, so that doesn't count for me, but it could be any condiment. Whatever it is you're looking for and can't find... mustard, or mayo, or the most disappointing thing of all is when there isn't any food! This is not a problem for street people because they don't have refrigerators, but it is a problem for many who are either out of food stamps, or just don't really plan ahead. Once again, running out of ketchup doesn't count for me because not only do I hate ketchup, I, being a street person, do not have a refrigerator! Yet, I do carry condiments with me in just in case. It's not like being prepared for sex, but eating is the next best thing to sex! Well, taking a good whiz when you really gotta go is in there somewhere, but I'm not trying to start a debate...
3. Diet Bagels are definitely a 1st World Problem, especially when you're served diet bagels at the soup kitchen where there are a lot of obese people, but you, yourself don't need to lose any more weight.. It's just that there aren't really that many homeless people at the soup kitchen. If there were, we'd get seconds every day and probably gain some weight. So, it's a little frustrating for a real "street person" to be served diet bagels for breakfast when it's all most street people can do to keep their pants pulled up. Diet bagels have just 110 calories per serving, versus the 300+ calories for a regular bagel. You know we have real 1st World Problems when the market dictates there is a "need" for diet bagels. Perhaps, the target market for these bagels are people who live sedentary lifestyles. If so, couldn't we recommend they exercise so that the homeless people don't feel like they're being told to lose some weight?
4. While were talking about the soup kitchen, and as I've mentioned before, there's a real 1st World Problem with the fact that there just aren't enough parking spaces at the soup kitchen. Once again, the homeless people are befuddled by this problem. One day, one regular attendee who is grossly obese left his car running in the parking lot for breakfast. Someone reported it, but he said not to worry about it. It wasn't really a matter of being a glutton for oil that was plaguing this guy. His car battery needed to charge, and that, as I said before, is another 1st World Problem.
5. Watered down coffee at the shelter is also a 1st World Problem, but that happened once just because the guy that made the coffee is a dumbass and doesn't know how to make coffee! That's all I have to say about that.
6. Traffic is definitely a 1st World Problem, but who wants to talk about that either?
7. Missing the bus is another 1st World Problem. They don't have buses to take you places in third world countries. Why would they when they just leave you lying around in the dirt all day hoping you'll get a bowl of rice to eat at some point? But, missing the bus is a real 1st World Problem and especially in Athens, GA where it's almost always faster to walk to your destination than it is to wait on the next bus. I've done this a million times and I can see if you're older, or disabled in some way why you'd want to take the bus, but these people who miss the bus will call in late and wait on the next one before exerting themselves too much. And, then they demand Sunday bus service, when nobody rides the bus anyway, but we pass laws and make policies to accommodate these squeaky wheels... pardon the pun!
8. This brings up another 1st World Problem where rules don't make any sense. Someone passes legislation in the "interest" of the community to solve a problem that doesn't even really exist! Americans, especially our politicians, are really good at that, on both sides of the aisle. At least it's the Republicans who "create" problems in order to provide solutions. Liberals just imagine the problems and still "create" solutions... at the tax payers expense, or in the case of the Affordable Care Act, in the form of insurance premiums people can't afford! This is a big 1st World American Problem since the whole aim of "Obamacare" was to establish universal, or socialized health care for all and instead all we got was another bill to pay!
9. Back to the coffee, since coffee has become a staple part of my diet of late. I haven't been drinking alcohol, and the weather has turned cold which have both led to an increase in coffee consumption. It's another 1st World Problem when you go to a homeless resource center and they DO have coffee, but not creamer. For some that's not a problem. They like it black anyway. But, for me, I prefer a little cream in my coffee. So, I will sometimes buy my own creamer, like condiments and carry it with me. However, my bag was getting fuller and I had to stash the creamer somewhere a couple of weeks ago. That was another 1st World Problem when I couldn't find my personal creamer stash. The good news is yesterday, I found it. I don't leave it out in public because after donating 3lbs of coffee to one homeless resource and only getting about two cups out of every pound, I decided I would keep the creamer for myself. People love them some free stuff and gobble it up Thanksgiving Dinner.
10. I've learned a lot about human nature in my time on the streets. I am once again employed, but I'm still staying at the shelter. That's another 1st World Problem where working people still can't afford a place to live. There are only a few people who have jobs that stay at the shelter, but something isn't adding up. Maybe it's the math as a guy reminded me that our math breaks down by the example of a word problem where three guys check into a hotel and pay $30 for a hotel room they were sharing for the night. Later, the manager tells the bell hop to take them five bucks for change as he had over charged them. The bell hop goes to the room and gives each man $1 back, pocketing two bucks for himself since the bastards didn't tip him on the first trip. So, if he gives $1 back to each man that means, in their minds, they only paid $27 for the room, or nine dollars each. Add, the two bucks in the bell hop pocketed and you get a total of $29. Where's the missing dollar? This is a real 1st World Problem!!!
11. What about when your earphones get pulled out of your ears because they get caught on something. That is one of the most frustrating 1st World Problems of all, isn't it? Arghhhh! And, then I have to remember to stay on my lily pad, because it truly is a major 1st World Problem, and it just happened as I'm writing this post!!!
12. When light bulbs blow out, that is definitely a 1st World Problem. But, the kicker in it with my experience is that they always seem to blow, right when you need them the most. It's the same thing with computers. Right when you're trying to do something you think is important, they crap out on you! This is really two 1st World Problems in one, because the computer always craps out when the power goes out! Excluding any typographical errors, the typing and publishing of this less than exhaustive list of 1st World Problems has been a pleasant and coping experience, other than my earplugs just getting pulled out because I caught them on the corner of the desk. Writing this has helped met to stay on the my lily pad and I hope it does the same for you. Because, even if it is a figurative goal, to stay on the lily pad, that is the very first of 1st World Problems. Not so much in the problems we encounter, but in the way we react. Mahalo
13. Most frustrating for me, for many years, was a recurring problem I had of kicking the bathroom scale almost every single morning. I would move it, and somebody else would move it back and I would kick it again with my bear toe the very next morning. Another major 1st World Problem I remedied by getting rid of the problem. I lost about 110 lbs after that, almost immediately, but that's because my girlfriend weighed 110 lbs! She was the real problem. I kept the scales. I just put them in another place as I had done many times before, and I never kicked that scale again. We played traditional roles for a long time. It was really silly because her heart wasn't really in it. She kept the place up... kinda. She even washed the clothes... again, KINDA. She just wouldn't dry them and then they would mildew. What was even more ridiculous was how many socks would go missing during this laundry process and since dropping 110 lbs, and I started doing my own laundry again as I always did before anyway, I've never lost another sock!
14. Finally, one of the biggest 1st World Problems any of us face in the United States of America is VOTING! And, while I'm sorry, my girl lost the election and she could have been the first female president of the United States, I still voted for Dolly Parton! For an entire month before the election, I told people I was going to vote for Dolly and they just laughed. If you haven't read another recent post I've made, then please read "Dolly 2020" which can be found by clicking through this link:
Dolly 2020!!! Click Here
15. I know you have more you can add to the list. Send them to me at newmangabe@gmail.com. We'll keep the list going and every year we can look back and be thankful that we recognized them for what they are and stopped letting them anger us so much by laughing at them instead!
But, it was one Sunday morning I was "walking" the streets of Athens when I came upon this bar that was holding church services. I've shared this before, but it was spurred on again this morning with the weather turning cold and the challenges of that time, especially for street people. Regardless of your station in life, and where ever you are... in a small town, or the big city, generally speaking we suffer from first world problems. It was at this church in the bar, someone spoke that morning complaining about one such 1st World Problem, when she couldn't get a signal for her cell phone. A friend of hers had to make her realize it, but she did and she shared the fact with the rest of the attendees.
So, this morning after repeating the idea to someone else when something happened, I decided to make a list of other 1st World Problems. Please share your other ideas too because this is by no means an exhaustive list, just a few I scratched down last night and this morning.
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you find a seat for the 5 Bar in Athens, GA for the annual Thanksgiving Feast, open to the community! It is truly a 1st World Problem!
Other 1st World Problems:
1. Not only is it a major 1st World Problem when you can't get a signal for your cell phone, what is additionally, and equally frustrating is when your cell phone battery dies!!! This is such a 1st World Problem that people in the third world would think we are from another planet if they witnessed us being upset by this "problem" of a dead cell phone battery! A dead battery on a car is one thing, but these days, if you can't call AAA too, then you're up the old creek... which is to rely on someone passing by, the old school way of dealing with a dead battery on your car. These days people are so filled with fear and paranoia, many would just sit there and sulk before asking a "stranger" for help... another 1st World Problem.
2. Number two, and these aren't in any particular order, but it is especially frustrating when you open your refrigerator and you're out of ketchup!!! I actually hate ketchup, so that doesn't count for me, but it could be any condiment. Whatever it is you're looking for and can't find... mustard, or mayo, or the most disappointing thing of all is when there isn't any food! This is not a problem for street people because they don't have refrigerators, but it is a problem for many who are either out of food stamps, or just don't really plan ahead. Once again, running out of ketchup doesn't count for me because not only do I hate ketchup, I, being a street person, do not have a refrigerator! Yet, I do carry condiments with me in just in case. It's not like being prepared for sex, but eating is the next best thing to sex! Well, taking a good whiz when you really gotta go is in there somewhere, but I'm not trying to start a debate...
3. Diet Bagels are definitely a 1st World Problem, especially when you're served diet bagels at the soup kitchen where there are a lot of obese people, but you, yourself don't need to lose any more weight.. It's just that there aren't really that many homeless people at the soup kitchen. If there were, we'd get seconds every day and probably gain some weight. So, it's a little frustrating for a real "street person" to be served diet bagels for breakfast when it's all most street people can do to keep their pants pulled up. Diet bagels have just 110 calories per serving, versus the 300+ calories for a regular bagel. You know we have real 1st World Problems when the market dictates there is a "need" for diet bagels. Perhaps, the target market for these bagels are people who live sedentary lifestyles. If so, couldn't we recommend they exercise so that the homeless people don't feel like they're being told to lose some weight?
4. While were talking about the soup kitchen, and as I've mentioned before, there's a real 1st World Problem with the fact that there just aren't enough parking spaces at the soup kitchen. Once again, the homeless people are befuddled by this problem. One day, one regular attendee who is grossly obese left his car running in the parking lot for breakfast. Someone reported it, but he said not to worry about it. It wasn't really a matter of being a glutton for oil that was plaguing this guy. His car battery needed to charge, and that, as I said before, is another 1st World Problem.
5. Watered down coffee at the shelter is also a 1st World Problem, but that happened once just because the guy that made the coffee is a dumbass and doesn't know how to make coffee! That's all I have to say about that.
6. Traffic is definitely a 1st World Problem, but who wants to talk about that either?
7. Missing the bus is another 1st World Problem. They don't have buses to take you places in third world countries. Why would they when they just leave you lying around in the dirt all day hoping you'll get a bowl of rice to eat at some point? But, missing the bus is a real 1st World Problem and especially in Athens, GA where it's almost always faster to walk to your destination than it is to wait on the next bus. I've done this a million times and I can see if you're older, or disabled in some way why you'd want to take the bus, but these people who miss the bus will call in late and wait on the next one before exerting themselves too much. And, then they demand Sunday bus service, when nobody rides the bus anyway, but we pass laws and make policies to accommodate these squeaky wheels... pardon the pun!
8. This brings up another 1st World Problem where rules don't make any sense. Someone passes legislation in the "interest" of the community to solve a problem that doesn't even really exist! Americans, especially our politicians, are really good at that, on both sides of the aisle. At least it's the Republicans who "create" problems in order to provide solutions. Liberals just imagine the problems and still "create" solutions... at the tax payers expense, or in the case of the Affordable Care Act, in the form of insurance premiums people can't afford! This is a big 1st World American Problem since the whole aim of "Obamacare" was to establish universal, or socialized health care for all and instead all we got was another bill to pay!
9. Back to the coffee, since coffee has become a staple part of my diet of late. I haven't been drinking alcohol, and the weather has turned cold which have both led to an increase in coffee consumption. It's another 1st World Problem when you go to a homeless resource center and they DO have coffee, but not creamer. For some that's not a problem. They like it black anyway. But, for me, I prefer a little cream in my coffee. So, I will sometimes buy my own creamer, like condiments and carry it with me. However, my bag was getting fuller and I had to stash the creamer somewhere a couple of weeks ago. That was another 1st World Problem when I couldn't find my personal creamer stash. The good news is yesterday, I found it. I don't leave it out in public because after donating 3lbs of coffee to one homeless resource and only getting about two cups out of every pound, I decided I would keep the creamer for myself. People love them some free stuff and gobble it up Thanksgiving Dinner.
10. I've learned a lot about human nature in my time on the streets. I am once again employed, but I'm still staying at the shelter. That's another 1st World Problem where working people still can't afford a place to live. There are only a few people who have jobs that stay at the shelter, but something isn't adding up. Maybe it's the math as a guy reminded me that our math breaks down by the example of a word problem where three guys check into a hotel and pay $30 for a hotel room they were sharing for the night. Later, the manager tells the bell hop to take them five bucks for change as he had over charged them. The bell hop goes to the room and gives each man $1 back, pocketing two bucks for himself since the bastards didn't tip him on the first trip. So, if he gives $1 back to each man that means, in their minds, they only paid $27 for the room, or nine dollars each. Add, the two bucks in the bell hop pocketed and you get a total of $29. Where's the missing dollar? This is a real 1st World Problem!!!
11. What about when your earphones get pulled out of your ears because they get caught on something. That is one of the most frustrating 1st World Problems of all, isn't it? Arghhhh! And, then I have to remember to stay on my lily pad, because it truly is a major 1st World Problem, and it just happened as I'm writing this post!!!
12. When light bulbs blow out, that is definitely a 1st World Problem. But, the kicker in it with my experience is that they always seem to blow, right when you need them the most. It's the same thing with computers. Right when you're trying to do something you think is important, they crap out on you! This is really two 1st World Problems in one, because the computer always craps out when the power goes out! Excluding any typographical errors, the typing and publishing of this less than exhaustive list of 1st World Problems has been a pleasant and coping experience, other than my earplugs just getting pulled out because I caught them on the corner of the desk. Writing this has helped met to stay on the my lily pad and I hope it does the same for you. Because, even if it is a figurative goal, to stay on the lily pad, that is the very first of 1st World Problems. Not so much in the problems we encounter, but in the way we react. Mahalo
13. Most frustrating for me, for many years, was a recurring problem I had of kicking the bathroom scale almost every single morning. I would move it, and somebody else would move it back and I would kick it again with my bear toe the very next morning. Another major 1st World Problem I remedied by getting rid of the problem. I lost about 110 lbs after that, almost immediately, but that's because my girlfriend weighed 110 lbs! She was the real problem. I kept the scales. I just put them in another place as I had done many times before, and I never kicked that scale again. We played traditional roles for a long time. It was really silly because her heart wasn't really in it. She kept the place up... kinda. She even washed the clothes... again, KINDA. She just wouldn't dry them and then they would mildew. What was even more ridiculous was how many socks would go missing during this laundry process and since dropping 110 lbs, and I started doing my own laundry again as I always did before anyway, I've never lost another sock!
14. Finally, one of the biggest 1st World Problems any of us face in the United States of America is VOTING! And, while I'm sorry, my girl lost the election and she could have been the first female president of the United States, I still voted for Dolly Parton! For an entire month before the election, I told people I was going to vote for Dolly and they just laughed. If you haven't read another recent post I've made, then please read "Dolly 2020" which can be found by clicking through this link:
Dolly 2020!!! Click Here
15. I know you have more you can add to the list. Send them to me at newmangabe@gmail.com. We'll keep the list going and every year we can look back and be thankful that we recognized them for what they are and stopped letting them anger us so much by laughing at them instead!
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