A strange pattern. When there was nothing to complain about, memories of the past came into play. As a child, my mother abruptly refused my request to buy a toy.
Dad didn't pay attention, he worked, you see. He supported the family. Those around him were cold and indifferent. The complaints were amazing.
I personally saw an ordinary family in the store with a huge cart loaded with groceries. It was 2015. The wife complained loudly and indignantly that there was trout. But there was no salmon! How can you live if there is no fresh salmon? Tomorrow my relatives will come to the village. Trout is not so tasty. They like grilled salmon. We must…
I also saw ordinary office workers who flew to Egypt for the weekend. That's how their company had a corporate vacation. How they complained that the plane ride was long. That the dinner was so-so. Chicken or fish. They could have given better. And the hotel is again a “four star”, the greedy boss doesn't want to break the bank and buy an “ultra”.
One mechanic complained that because of the high cost he could not buy a new German car. A good car. And he was forced to buy a worse one, a used one. It is a shame and disgrace that a person cannot buy a premium foreign car in the showroom. Here, he is bringing in the old stuff, so to speak. Not a “Lanos”, take it, it is completely for the poor.
Complained about a lot of work. Never a rest! Damn work, why so much of it? Complained about rest. The hotel room is not as spacious as we would like. And free ice cream with some kind of flavor.
Perfume doesn't smell that good. Gasoline is expensive. Cars are expensive. Everything is expensive. It should be free, like ice cream. Loans, it turns out, have to be paid back. Horror. Benefits are small. And pensions.
They complained non-stop. And it's true. Instead of a prayer of thanksgiving over food, there were complaints, wasn't there?
And in the book about Robinson Crusoe, there are wise words written on behalf of a man who lost everything. Not only his property, he found himself completely alone on a deserted island. And he understood a lot. Here are these words from Defoe:
…how useful it would be for each of us, when comparing our present situation with another, even worse one, to remember that Providence can at any moment effect an exchange and show us by experience how happy we were before!
…I learned to look more at the bright side of my situation than at the dark side, and to remember more about what I have than about what I lack. And this gave me moments of indescribable inner joy.
I say this for those unfortunate people who are never satisfied with anything, who cannot enjoy the blessings bestowed upon them in peace because they always want something they do not have. All our complaints about what we are deprived of arise, it seems to me, from a lack of gratitude for what we have.
To understand these words, some people need to find themselves on a deserted island, or in a difficult situation where resources are scarce and there is no prospect of improvement.
And you need to understand this: complaints bring misfortune. There is an exchange of the old for the new, since the old does not suit. This is the law.
Only new is not better. Not at all. It is given for comparison. To wean you off complaining. And teach you to pray with gratitude before you start eating…
