Living Frigid .

It's day two without heat, and we're doing just fine. The hardest part is waking up in the morning when no matter where you move or how you curl yourself up, you're still cold in bed (though it certainly makes you get out of bed quicker and into some warm clothes). I stumbled upon an article today, and lo and behold, it was on people that live sans heat. That means little to nothing. No central heat, ever. Wood stove, maybe, if you're entertaining. They have come to discover that it's really all about attitude. The more you dwell on it, the worse it is. And it's not like these people live in warm tropical climates. We're talking places like New York, Pittsburgh, and other northern areas. Being from NJ, I can attest to the fact that it does indeed get pretty cold up there...

Makes me feel like a snooty b though, if you catch my drift. Here we are, not wanting to deal with a 50 degree house for a few days, while others are choosing to go completely without heat. Pretty nuts! I don't have the link to the article, but I'm sure it's pretty easy to find. Would you ever willingly go without your creature comforts permanently?

The Pouring Rain .

At home, when it pours, it rains for a short couple of hours and then it's done. In Clemson, when it pours, it pours all day. And then continues to pour for about three days thereafter. We haven't had monsoon weather like this past week since freshman year. Now I'm not usually one to complain about the weather, but when it pours all day, and you still get soaked even when you have an umbrella, those days just suck. I don't mind cold. I don't mind rain... unfortunately the combination of those two things in addition to wind make for some pretty awful weather. It makes for packed buses and long walks across campus with a sub-par umbrella. It makes for wet socks, wet pants, and discomfort all day. And all of that sucks.

But the important thing to remember? It could always be worse. If I complain about my shoes being wet, I could be without shoes. If I complain about wet pants and socks, I could be without any extra pairs of pants. If I complain about the cold, I could be without a home and without heat. If I complain about my umbrella, it's possible I could have none.

On the days that we perceive to suck, the ones that seems like they couldn't get any worse, the ones that we can't seem to believe are even happening, it's important to remember that we are so much better off than so many others. Rain, albeit pouring, is but an inconvenience. Wet is just a feeling, a minor temporary condition of the clothes you are wearing. How strange that we can indulge in the hot water and wonderful wet feeling of a shower, and yet being out in the rain is uncomfortable.

When the going gets tough, let us always remember that things could be worse. We could be in worse situations. And as long as we remember that, we will, over time, become a better person.