The Town Herald

The netpaper about Elftowners, by Elftowners, for Elftowners.

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You don’t know how lucky you are

by [shotokan_gal]

It’s a typical day, as I wander through the streets and houses of Elftown. The sun’s shining, I’m in a good mood. But wait, what do we see here? I’ve come across a house of teen angst - “I’m so depressed because my boyfriend’s broke up with me / I’ll never go out with Orlando Bloom / my parents don’t understand me / I have no friends / I‘m so ugly…”. Fair enough, hardly cheerful reading but we’re bound to find the occasional depressed person right? We’ll move on. A few houses later, the same thing, give or take a few more insecurities. Keep walking, and we see another, and another, and another… Can’t anyone have a peaceful walk around here without constantly being confronted by whining teenagers and their troubles???

I may sound like I’m being a little harsh, but quite frankly, I’m sick of the number of people who don’t seem to appreciate their life around here. Elftown seems to be overpopulated by them. All trying to out do each other: “I hate all these wannabees who claim to be gothic, me, I’m a true goth”, for example (without implying all ‘Goths’ are like this, from my experience many who claim to be so also have the self-pitying bio on display). Whatever the exact example, it all seems to amount to:
  
“I’m more depressed than you, therefore I deserve more sympathy”

Well I’ve got news for you kids…

First of all, YOU are not as badly off as you’re making out. Your parents are the creatures from hell, but you’re still living under their roof, eating their food, using their internet connection… you don’t seem to object to all that. What about no boyfriend/girlfriend, or perhaps you’re pining after that superstar. Well, if all you do is mope about feeling sorry for yourself no wonder no one wants to go out with you. And also, you’re NOT in love with someone you’ve never met / spoken two words to. You’re not in love with the school heart-throb who’s oh so good looking but an arrogant twat because everyone fancies him. And as long as you believe you’re ugly and worthless, what on Earth makes you think anyone else will want to think otherwise? Attitude is contagious, spending too long around someone depressing makes you depressing too.

But moving on, whatever your stance of these issues I’ve listed (amongst others), none of them are the end of the world. Nope, not one. Count them. Zero, nada, nil. Want to know what real suffering is like? I'll give you something to compare your pitiful complaints to, and put them into perspective somewhat.

I bet a lot of you have seen those fashionable little wristbands around right? They’re certainly popular over here in the UK, and I’m fairly sure in the US. Not only fashionable, they’re for a good cause too. No I’m not going off on a tangent, because here comes my point. How many have really looked into the implications of exactly what they’re about?

Take the white bands for instance. ‘Make Poverty History’ they’re branded. “Oh good, I’m helping the poor” you think. But there’s slightly more to it then that. The bands are actually going towards funding the campaign against 3rd World debt. In simple terms, this is money poorer countries owe the richer, which they can’t pay back. It’s also constantly having interest added to it every year, so the amount becomes greater and greater and… yeah. The chances of them being able to pay it back are being reduced to nil. Now, imagine you lived in one of these countries. Very poor economy, so no high paid cushy middle class suburban lives for you, ohhhh no. How about that school you hate so much? Well, at least it’s state paid for. Many children living in these countries would give everything to be able to go to school and learn things as basic as how to read and write. After all, what prospects are they for them, or for you, without those basic skills?

Hungry? You can pop out to your local Maccy’s and fill yourself to your hearts content. You’d be lucky if you got more to eat than plain rice every day if you lived in third world Africa. Many there suffer malnutrition from not being able to get a balanced diet, things like meat and diary products are in shorter supply, and expensive. Oh and don’t forget in addition to these, you may not have access to clean water to drink or to wash in, medical supplies when you were ill, a roof over your head when it rains… getting the idea yet?

Every single day, 30,000 children are dying as a result of extreme poverty.

Yeah, that’s some perspective for you. Think a bit before you whinge about how bad your life is next time, and spare a thought for someone with real problems.


Related links:
http://www.makepovertyhistory.org/ - the UK version of the site and campaign
http://www.whiteband.org/ - Global call to action against poverty

Note: if you really are clinically depressed, seek help! It does no one any good if you hide behind closed doors cutting and bemoaning your life. You’ve got access to help if you’re brave enough to take it, not all do! Don’t live your life in misery, there’s so much more to live for. And you really are luckier than you think.
Useful Elftown links:
Anti-Suicide Wiki Ring
The truth on mental disorders

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