Counting blessings

[lederhosen]

When a man hath no freedom to fight for at home,
Let him combat for that of his neighbours;
Let him think of the glories of Greece and of Rome,
And get knocked on the head for his labours.

To do good to Mankind is the chivalrous plan,
And is always as nobly requited;
Then battle for Freedom wherever you can,
And, if not shot or hanged, you’ll get knighted.
- Lord Byron, 'Impromptu'

I've been posting a lot of angry & negative things here lately. It's hard *not* to get worked up about the mess the world is in, and one of the ways I deal with that is venting about it on LJ. But most of the stuff that gets me grumpy is happening to other people; when it comes to my own life, I have little enough to complain about, and that's worth remembering.


I have a pretty good job. There are things I'd change, but I'm doing what I'm good at and we're not being evil. I can tell my boss when he's wrong about something and even if he disagrees, he's not going to take offence.

We have our own house. I'm not exactly *enjoying* the bit where my entire paycheck goes on the mortgage, and it means less disposable income than I'm used to, but we have a place of our own with room for a decent life, and we're actually ahead on the payments.

I'm in good health, even if I owe most of that to genes rather than work on my part.

And most of all, I have people to love who love me back, friends and family. I don't get to see any of them as often as I'd like, but absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I'm *decidedly* fond of so many of you. When I was a miserable 20-year-old, it was always loneliness and absence of love that made me so; I think that 20-year-old would've been a lot happier if he could've seen how things are now :-)

Comments

[lokicarbis.livejournal.com]

Synchronicity - was just watching Eddie Woodward quote that same poem in "Breaker Morant" last night.

[shadow-5tails.livejournal.com]

You know, when looking at silver linings most people don't take quite such extensive pains to delineate the clouds around and within them... *wry smile*

But you're right. It's definitely not all bad.

[djfiggy.livejournal.com]

Depending on whether I break even or increase my savings this year (har har), I could be capable of adding a lot of figgyness to your life without needing someone else to pay for the journey. It won't likely come to that, though, and I'd be happier if it didn't...

Oh, wait, it's happiness you're getting at, not figgyness? Well, I'm back to the old drawing board, then! :)