Every underprivileged and or minority group believes they have cornered the market on despair. To the impoverished, under-paid, out of work, hungry and homeless, there is no more dire straits than theirs. To be fair, for each group with their own particular paradigm, the feelings are real, palpable. But the truth is, where there is one pocket of misery, you can be certain that somewhere, there is another that is much worse. Should that thought bring comfort and cheer? No…but it may perchance provide a sense of solidarity with those to whom life has been less than kind and the knowledge that one is not alone in the dark. It may offer a vague unnamed sense of relief that can only come from knowing that one’s present distress is not the darkest of scenarios.
So, we take our peace from counting our blessings and thanking the powers that be that we aren’t so and so, and them over there… and thus, we are comforted and go on to live another day. We live in hope.
