"As they passed the rows of houses they saw through the open doors that men were sweeping and dusting and washing dishes, while the women sat around in groups, gossiping and laughing.
"What has happened?" the Scarecrow asked a sad-looking man with a bushy beard, who wore an apron and was wheeling a baby-carriage along the sidewalk.
"Why, we've had a revolution, your Majesty -- as you ought to know very well," replied the man; "and since you went away the women have been running things to suit themselves. I'm glad you have decided to come back and restore order, for doing housework and minding the children is wearing out the strength of every man in the Emerald City."
"Hm!" said the Scarecrow, thoughtfully. "If it is such hard work as you say, how did the women manage it so easily?"
"I really do not know," replied the man, with a deep sigh. "Perhaps the women are made of cast-iron.""
- L. Frank Baum, "The Land of Oz"
Monday, October 5, 2009
Inspired by the Twitter meme #firstworldproblems, here are some frustrations that only make sense here.
The grocery store is out of the brand of bread you like.
Gasoline is up 5 cents a gallon from last week.
So hungry but "nothing sounds good."
The water coming out of the faucet tastes "funny."
The cable guy won't give me a specific appointment time.
My kid didn't collect enough box tops to earn an ice cream party.
If I don't water my lawn every other day, the grass browns.
The wait at the bank is, like, ten minutes long.
It's hard to get up for church because the bed feels so good.
The pizza delivery is late.
She only refilled my drink once. Do I tip 15%?
The bathtub drains slowly.
I don't feel "fulfilled" in my job.
Church camp is at Daytona Beach so you might have to tell your kid he has to sell candy bars or mow lawns to pay for half.
Kanye West aggravates you by interrupting an acceptance speech on MTV.
Feel free to contribute your own in the comments . . .
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Btw, one two-thirds world problem is "death by mosquito bite." Foreign concept to us. But a measly $4 buys a mosquito net.
I buy mine via Mosaic, an awesome missions org run by my friend Justin Holcomb and his wife Lindsey who recently left Virginia for Seattle, WA and now work for Mars Hill's educational and social justice efforts.
100% of your contributions to Mosaic go directly to the projects you want them to benefit. All overhead costs are paid for by a single benefactor so that every penny contributed by everybody else goes to help those in need. Can't beat that.
Deliberating whether to spend $4 on a mosquito net that helps save a life or on a cup of coffee? That's a first world problem for sure.
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Comments on "First World Problems":
6. Wickle
- 10/06/2009 1:34 pm CDT
The highway is backed up.
I don't know what to do with my kids when there's a half-day at school.
I was bugged on the sidewalk by one of those beggars again.
9. MzEllen
- 10/06/2009 5:53 pm CDT
One day during the summer my facebook homepage had three consecutive posts by other people.
1) my hot tub is broken
2) it's raining so we can't go to the beach
3) (from a missionary friend in Africa) - today my husband is going to excavate a mass grave in order to try to figure out who the army killed and if the bodies belong to any of our own so we can take them home to their wives and children.
12. Manders
- 10/07/2009 1:55 pm CDT
Definite first world problem: I'll be receiving my master's degree three months later than planned.
16. Wickle
- 10/08/2009 11:18 am CDT
I got stuck behind school buses.
I don't get cell phone coverage (insert place here).
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My fantasy football team lost again.