BUZZ.
BUZZ. BUZZ. That is how I wake up every morning. I arise to the tune of my melodious
alarm clock. What a wonderful way to welcome the new day. In fact, this is the
way most Americans wake up. The typical American starts their day by waking up
with this instrument and continues his or her regimented schedule. For me this
includes a ten minute shower ( not a minute over), seven minutes to gobble my
breakfast of a yogurt cup and a prepackaged orange juice can, and two minutes
to get dressed in my warm (but dreaded) winter gear. After all this is
completed, I scramble out the door and hurry towards the sleet covered carriage
that awaits me. If I spend too much time
on any item in my daily schedule, my routine will go haywire and my life will seize
to be blissful (not like it already is).
I
always wondered if I was a special case. Maybe this was just my problem. But
now I have realized that this is a common occurrence.
See Article:
I
always knew my family was slightly prone to stress. However, I never expected
this to be tied to the rest of my heritage. But now that I look at the women in my family,
it is understandable. I doubt my mother has ever lived without stress. Unlike
most young children, my mother had been exposed to financial difficulties. She
was clearly aware of her economic situation. She was aware that her parents
could not afford any delicacies like beet root or tindora. She was aware that
it was difficult for her parents to pay for her education (they barely had the
funds required to pay for her school uniforms). She was aware that her father’s
business venture was very risky. She was aware that her family was on the brink
of boom or bust. Thus, her awareness of the financial circumstances of her
family gave her stress (maybe ignorance is bliss).
Her
stress levels did not decrease once she came to the United States. In fact,
they probably have increased. When she came here, my mother did not assimilate easily.
It was difficult to find vegetarian food. It was difficult to find a job. It
was difficult to become like a sponge and undergo the verbal abuse from her
co-workers because of the “funniness” of her three-syllabled-name. It was
difficult to stay away from her beloved parents and extended family. Due to her
circumstances, life in the United States was still stressful.
Millions
of immigrants live through these common stresses. Thus, it is understandable
why the United States is not one of the top ten happiest countries in the
world.
See Article:
But is life really worth living
if we do not enjoy our daily schedules? We idealize the benefits of our life in
the United States. I mean, the average American would not be able to fathom a
world without cell phones, tv’s, laptops, computers, gaming devices, cars,
planes, and much more. But is our goal
of attaining these material pleasures worth the high blood pressure, the gray
hairs, and the emotional breakdowns? This
material pleasures now seem meaningless.
Thank you for this thoughtful consideration of stress and our everyday existence. I appreciate how you used your mother's story to make your point. Well done.
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