It’s been a hard year and one that isn’t over yet. It’s easy to get distracted when hard times strike and to forget about all the good in our lives. It’s easy to feel sorry for your situation and have a pity party, but doing so would be turning down your nose at all the blessings we have as Americans.
1.If you live in America, you have first world problems. When looking back at a hard year it’s easy to gloss over the blessings we have as a nation. We need to put our problems into perspective with the rest of the world.
2. You are the 10% in the world. According to a Credit Suisse report, all you have to have to your name is $93,170 in total assets to be in the top 10% in the world. The Average American is worth $97,300. While it’s easy to complain about how much you do or don’t remember, 9.2% of the world still lives on $1.90 a day. A singular hot tea at Starbucks costs more than a family’s daily wages in much of the world.
3. Your freedom of speech. This First Amendment is one many Americans take for granted but is a fundamental block of the tower of freedom. Many countries such as France, England, and Germany do not explicitly have freedom of speech. We are so blessed to have our speech protected in our founding documents.
4. You have freedom of Religion and aren’t in a concentration camp in China. This may not be a big deal to some, but, when you realize how many people are currently in concentration camps in China for their religion, even the non-religious should be thankful. There are currently over a million Uighur Muslims in over a thousand concentration camps, all just because they were born ethnically Uighur and are Muslim. To live in a country where you can worship Allah, Jesus, or even a rock without persecution if you choose to, is a blessing that many people in the world do not know.
5. You have access to clean water. How many faucets do you have in your house? How many different ways can you go out and get clean water right now? Well, you are better off than 2.9 billion people, or a quarter of the world who do not have easy access to water. Don’t even get me started on having a pool.
6. Technology. We are spending more time on technology this year due to the pandemic. It has allowed us to continue school, work, and keeping up with our communities. While it is a far cry from physical communities, it has also been the only communication with the outside world that many have had this year.
7. You have access to the internet. This goes hand in hand with number five, but roughly 60% of the world doesn’t have access to the internet. That’s over four billion people. To have access even in 2020, makes you a minority. And this is something we take for granted. We are constantly seeking faster, better, and cheaper without even acknowledging that we are even blessed to have it. No matter how frustrating it is to have the internet go down, your show buffering, and emails that don’t send automatically, it’s a small price to pay to even have it.
8. Access to electricity. Shockingly, 13% of the world still doesn’t have access to electricity. No AC, no refrigerators, no Ring security. How much of your house wouldn’t work if you did not have electricity to power everything? Could you even make a fire if you need heat?
9. You spend next to nothing on food. Walmart, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Aldis, and Costco are all grocery stores we frequent. When you go there you seemingly spend massive amounts of money, probably complaining about the rising cost of food. But, Americans spend just 6.4% of their yearly income on food. This makes us one of only ten countries to spend under 10% of our yearly income on food. Which leaves the rest for our houses, sports, hobbies, and entertainment.
10. If you are reading this, it means you are alive. In a year of much loss, there is still much to be thankful for, and your health should be at the center of your mind. No matter how hard the day was, the next day has a chance of being better, but if you aren’t here for it you will never know. Good health is something I think many took for granted, I know I did before 2020. And it’s a lesson I plan on not forgetting.
Taylor Hunt
Taylor Hunt is currently attending Washington State University pursuing a degree in AG Engineering. In her spare moments, Taylor writes for multiple outlets and loved to explore the natural world.
The views expressed in this article are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Lone Conservative staff.
@TakketyTam
