to think we in the UK have a bloody good life and we should stop bloody whinging?

[WriterofDreams]

This is a rant. Feel free to tell me IABU, as I am not going to be moderate in my views.

I know "what about the starving children in [insert poor country here]" is an endlessly annoying response to any complaint but it's been ringing in my head of late. I know people are struggling financially and being uncertain about the future is very worrying. But I do feel at times it would do us all good to stop and appreciate the huge privilege and good luck we have in living in this part of the world.

Something that will always stay with me is something my sister told me when she was working in Namibia. She had a spare notebook and pen so she gave it to a man who was about to study to be a teacher. He broke down in tears and she got a shock until she realised that this man could never have afforded to buy his own notebook and pen. He considered the gift hugely generous and had to be persuaded to accept it. A nun friend of mine also told me about children in Ethiopia who used to have their pens blessed by the priest in the hopes it would make them keep working. They had one pen to last the whole year and if it stopped working they might not be able to do their exams. Contrast this to my kids at school who would lose expensive handwriting pens left right and centre and expect a new one every time. We had to introduce a reward system to get them to look after them.

I wake up every day in a peaceful country in a dry warm house. I have running water, electricity, gas and a council that looks after the roads and collects the bins (as well as a lot of other things). If I need anything there are any number of shops I can go to where the shelves are constantly well stocked. My son will go to a clean well equipped school with highly trained teachers, for free, and get heaps of bloody handwriting pens, books, and photocopied worksheets. If I'm ill I can go to the doctor, for free, and be seen right away, given the correct medicine or sent to a state of the art hospital where I'll get great care, again for free. I don't have to worry that malaria or yellow fever will kill my family, or that war will tear my country apart.

On the whole I am one of the very very lucky ones.

I think looking on the bright side eventually is good advice

But accepting teh shite for what it is as well.... that has benefits

My ds1 is also at risk of a criminal life; I am doing all I can- heck I am literally taking an MA in his diagnosis!- but whilst now he is under my care I can keep him safe (AS) there are only so many years and so many things I can do. I actually think it is healthiest to accept that you should do everything you can possibly do- and at some point no more.

If ds1 gets any more aggressive and his new palcement at AS school doesn;t help I will have to consider residential which is a bit like giving up and will break my ehart but equally I am in danger.

This, like everything else, is a balancing act. You do absolutely everything you can but at some point there is no more.

And knowing where that is comes under the heading of essential.

And I don;t ex[pect otehrs to solve my problems but when every time we come up with a solution a barrier appears- change to teh funding for SW training, a massive cut in teacher numbers (my twoc areer options for the degree I fought for)- it can get rather- ahem- annoying. Bit like being in a version on one of those ball mazes where evceything you come against is a barrier except in mine I am not always sure there is a right way out: we have new options to try but I never have faith any more. Tried too many things already to beleive that any of the attempts will ever pay off.

YABU. The life expectancy for a man living in East Glasgow is the same as that for a man born in Namibia. It is an absolute disgrace that we live in one of the richest countries in the world and yet still have people living in conditions that leave them with health problems and an early death.

YANBU. Even people who are badly off in the UK would be a lot worse off elsewhere. I don't think appreciating what we have means that you think it is perfect or that it couldn't be improved but it is definitely worth recognising what we do have and how different it could be for us.

An over-optimistic attitude caused me a lot of problems in the past. "Oh Im sure it will all be fine" etc, stops you from identifying and dealing with problems before they get bigger.

A balanced view is essential. Address problems as they arise, try to resolve them if you can, and enjoy the things that are going well.

No Peachy, it's not supposed to be you you told me to fuck off last time we spoke so I wasn't talking to you and won't be further.

Did I? If I did I think that was one of the threads where you amssively insulted me and my boys so . I never understand why peopel think they can make comments about my family or those like mine without causing huge amopunts of distress. Actually that might be the time I tried to walk away from MN butMN talked me bak.

I don't have a spreadsheet but think I should have one.

Great posts from Aliceliddell and Starchart.. Im just going to quote it again here:

"We HAVE to whinge!

Why?

Well because in third world countries not everyone is poor. SOME people are doing extremely well out of living in those countries. The very rich and those in government.

SOME people do very well out of the poverty of others, out of removing provision for the weak and vulnerable, inflation, higher crime rates, dependency, disability.

Some people prefer to set policies that benefit the very rich and government officials and do so despite those policies being unpopular with the general public.

I forgot......am I talking about the 3rd world or this country. Hmm"

so true.

Interesting views. I would never think someone should be quiet about their personal issues or have a "stiff upper lip" attitude. My issue is with people who complain about not having a foreign holiday or a designer handbag. Sorry that some of you are having such a tough time :(

Cheers, HH!

Too many don't realise that actually people in the UK still struggle for survival.
This is why the government will ride roughshod over welfare reform and many won't realise the consequences.
That's why we shout about it and why we get derided for it.

Also you can have as many children as you want with out worrying who will feed them.

And the fact I am allowed to marry who I like and the law is on my side

We are bloody lucky and I agree with the op 110%

Er no, it wasn't, I don't do that. I don't "massively insult" adults or children, I've expressed my political support for carers on many threads - and, under a different name, personal support for you - and being told to fuck off by someone - even a carer - for no reason except disagreement is not going to change that.

You are quite wrong to accuse me of that, it's incredibly lazy and extremely insulting. You should withdraw it but you won't because you've put it out there and no one's going to check are they?

Don't make that accusation again unless you want to back it up. It's utter rubbish.

I really don't ever want to engage with you again - you tell me to fuck off then tell lies about it.

Noone is denying that there are problems in this country, but it would be worse in a third world country where on top of all, there would be no running water, proper healthcare, decent shelter or any welfare system.

YABU. The life expectancy for a man living in East Glasgow is the same as that for a man born in Namibia. It is an absolute disgrace that we live in one of the richest countries in the world and yet still have people living in conditions that leave them with health problems and an early death.

but surely some of that is down to poor lifestyle choices, i.e. drinking, smoking, drugtaking etc. Everyone has access to good health care in this country, if they choose to abuse that, thats their lookout

I would urge people to watch documentaries about other countries.

A recent one was "World's Worst Place To Be Gay" with Scott Mills. Horrifying and eye opening documentary.

What those poor gay men and women have to live in and with everyday is sickening. They are facing DEATH for being gay.

..or proper roads, assumption of altruism, consideration of others, clean air, voluntary organisations, fair-mindedness, clean streets, work, safe infrastructure, toilets etc ad nauseam

Also as someone due to give birth soon I am so very grateful I can do so in a modern hospital equipped for any emergency.

It frees me to concentrate on a birth plan and if I want an epidural or not. This is a luxury.

I nearly died last time I gave birth. In some countries my dc would have no mother. Im forever grateful to the NHS and the highly trained staff that saved us.

I fail to see how a developed country could ever be compared with a third world one?

Because the point is Glitter you could have lived in a third world country. Don't you see that?

Through sheer luck, fate, accident, lottery- most of us born here or had a chance to live here.

I for one am very grateful for that luck.

^Tenacity Sun 03-Jul-11 17:19:26
Noone is denying that there are problems in this country, but it would be worse in a third world country where on top of all, there would be no running water, proper healthcare, decent shelter or any welfare system^

I think that hits the nail on the head perfectly Tenacity

If you apply this to the limit then nobody should ever complain about anything, even those in the third world because someone else is always worse off.

Even someone starving in the third world has it better than someone who just died of starvation.

TBH if I didn't rant on here I would have ended it a lot sooner. Maybe I should stop ranting and end it. I am trying to stay alive until the baby is born though Ihave my plan in place for after.

I dont agree. We can all complain about anything we like.

But we must recognise how well off we have it and yes, I think be grateful. Why else do some many people want to immigrate here? Because the UK is one of the best places to live in the world.

I too frequently think on my plan, xstitch