Thursday, May 18, 2017

Legitimate "first world problems"

We often use the term "first world problems" in jest, and I understand why. After all, having Starbucks mess up on your coffee order isn't going to stop the world from turning or cause you any great distress in the long run. However there are legit "first world problems" that are causes for legit angst and concern.

A Facebook friend of mine recently got her car stolen. She lives in a very rural part of the midwest where a car is a necessity. From what little knowledge I have of her area Uber and Lyft aren't really common out there, there is no public transportation and no one can rely on friends for a ride one hundred percent of the time.

I was talking to a mutual friend about her situation and I said in passing that the woman who got her car stolen (she is not LDS) should talk to her priest about it. Her priest is not from America and my friend mentioned that he would not understand the magnitude of the situation, instead he would think of it as a "first world problem."

I get it, when you are struggling for food and shelter the loss the of a car is not a big issue. But it is for some of us here. Without a car in the rural parts of the country it's basically impossible to get your groceries, go to work, go to church-much less go out with friends and family. It's hardly a "first world problem", it's a legit concern. I don't know the priest and yes, my friend and I were just talking about over Facebook, but sometimes the issues and problems that we have in the more developed countries can be just as serious as those in the less developed worlds.

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