Back when I was living in Davao City, I had a condo in a gated community. It had a nice blue swimming pool, people who look well-rested and content with their lives, and guards stationed outside every building.
You’d think Davao was all luxury if this small community was all you knew.
But look outside the window of my room, into the city center, and you see a different scene, not far from the gates of my community.
You see homes that don’t look like they’d withstand a storm. Look further ahead and you’ll see people sleeping on the streets. To your left you see kids, nearly nude, living on their own. The same kids you see every time you look out the window, never with a parent.
Imagine seeing this on a daily basis while complaining about trivial things like we’re all ought to do. Relationships, minor hiccups at work, a friend not liking our statuses on Facebook.
Suddenly, our challenges seem to pale in comparison.
And we find ourselves grateful for what we have.
Your post reminds me of times I’ve traveled to Mexico and wandered through developed tourist areas. Shops and silver and riches everywhere but then I saw the beggars and I talked to the workers and learned more about how many people they were trying to support. Perspective is everything, isn’t it?
It really is. It’s amazing to see the sharp contrast that’s apparent within mere yards of each other.
All I have to say is an emphatic. . . “Indeed”.
That’s a very nice picture by the way. Looks beautiful.
Thanks! That’s a shot of the pool in the community I used to live in while staying in Davao. It’s called Magallanes Residence and you can expect a decent place for ~$400/mo.
Alright, cool!
be thankful for every thing.
Yes! Difficult but essential.
Reminding yourself how unimportant an event is in the big scheme of things is a good tactic in worrying less about the small things in life. I do not mean that seeing the misfortunes of others to make you feel good about yourself is great. It’s just that it makes you more thankful about your life.
Poverty is so rampant on this side of the world that seeing it has become a daily grind. Still hoping for a better world though…
Despite the poverty, I notice people are genuinely happy and content despite their harsh conditions. It’s an amazing display of perseverance.
A friend complained because he had no shoes…till he met a man who had no feet. I feel ya M-
Perspective right there.
I grew up in one of these neighborhoods and so for 17 years, these images are cemented into my memories. The simple way of living isn’t too bad, it’s the corruption and the violence that results from the poverty that worries me. I’ve always wished I had the power to erase these evils.
May I ask where you grew up?
Belize 🙂 It’s located below Mexico, next to Guatemala, and the only Central American country with English as its official language. I grew up hearing about violence on the news almost every day, so prevalent that my brother commented “news aren’t new anymore.” Despite this, it’s still home to me and I’ll always keep the country at heart. Maybe I’ll go back to teach something useful. 😛 Where there is a problem, there is an opportunity for a better way.
Your post reminds me. Of friends that lost their capacity for gratitude. And now they are no longer here. They expressed their ultimate anger. At themselves.
Gratitude is always an intentional act (at least for me.) I struggle with natural gratitude and have to will myself to remember.
You live in the best of times. Maybe not forever but right now richness surrounds you. So much is available and not all of it material. Love, kindness, and friendship abound. You find what you look for. Better to struggle than give up. Your capacity for joy is bound to expressions of gratitude. Merry Christmas Vincent