Friday 22 October 2010

2010:365:295 Nuisance ....

It was a frustrating morning.  The laptop decided to reject some essential programmes for no apparent reason so I spent a full hour or more sorting out that particular nuisance.
The second item of this growing list was the car.  It was sounding like the proverbial tractor; so I had to call in at the neighbouring fast service repair shop for a new exhaust.  The name of this place must remain hidden - this discovery came when I asked if I could take a photograph.  Apparently they have their own "police" who aren't happy with any publicity - good or bad.
The service I received was faultless and even the bill was reasonable; but not being able to use some of the pictures I took is yet another frustration, albeit a very small one!
Of course, it didn't help that my sister was enjoying the hospitality of a rather good hotel at the time - texts were flying back and forth - me in a waiting room with a coffee machine and she in the lap of luxury!  
"The world is ill-divided" was the phrase that came to mind.
And then ... 
The reality...  
I have a car and a computer.  (Well, two computers actually!)  
All are in reasonable working order and repairs can be done while I wait.  The minor frustrations of a bit of time wasted (or used for reading) and some expense pale into insignificance when I take a world view.  
On opening the mail when I returned home there were appeals from three different charities and two items  from other countries reminding me that many are in situations which cannot easily be fixed or sorted.
Life here is, on the whole, very easy.  Parts for repairs are good quality and available when required, or can be found within a short time.  Experts will give sound advice and that often that comes as part of the service at no extra charge.
The morning turned out differently from the way I had planned it ... but did that really matter?
Was I jealous of my wee sister - well, not really.  She was on a course and working, so being in a nice hotel made little difference - though I suspect that the coffee might have been better quality!
I am grateful for all the luxuries that I have which make my life a lot easier and give me freedom to travel both physically in the car, and virtually through the internet.  Sometimes it is too easy to focus on the things that go wrong, the negative.  Maybe today I'll try to keep the frustrations in perspective and show a bit more gratitude for all that I do enjoy, including the beauty that surrounds me every moment of every day. 

Fill thou my life, O Lord my God,
in every part with praise,
that my whole being may proclaim
thy being and thy ways.

Not for the lip of praise alone
nor ev'n the praising heart
I ask, but for a life made up
of praise in every part:

praise in the common things of life,
its goings out and in;
praise in each duty and each deed,
however small and mean. 

Church Hymnal number 349
Horatius Bonar (1808-89)

1 comment:

keneva said...

Been thinking along the same lines as I consider all the blessings I enjoy and feel for those who have nothing. But often they shame me with their gratitude and enjoyment of life and each other. They are often much more community centred then we are.