First World Problems, and why I don't consider myself a blogger

Because then I would have much higher expectations for myself, such as, oh, blogging.  Instead, I sometimes say, "I have a blog," or "I blog," but I am not a blogger, which implies blogging is a strong part of who I am in everyday living, rather than an activity I occassionally manage to squeeze into my day week month.

sigh.

In my own defense, I really have tried blogging, twice last week sitting down and two-finger typing on DH's touchpad, which is not only tedious but also so annoying because the touchpad "auto-corrects" my words into other things--and not just typos, but real words I typed as I intended them, and the stupid machine thinks it knows better than me and changes them into something completely inappropriate.  Like turning the sweet Indian name of my niece S______ (known here as "Sweetness") into "Slasher" and DH's into "HE's."  Well, and it appears I have a little issue with making up my own compound words--like touchpad, and homeschool--which I guess are supposed to be touch pad and home-school, but I type them the way they look right, and since I'm not typing a dissertation or anything, and my modifications seem quite logically founded in standard rules for American English, and since I have spell-check turned off here on my computer when I blog so I don't see all those little red and green squiggly lines of disapproval, it all usually works for me.  Until I get on DH's touchpad and end up frustrated and offended from the automatic editing. Which of course I don't know how to turn off.

(original source someone named Jean Hall on facebook)

(And now that you know that I edit my blogging posts manually, you understand why little mistakes slip in here and there--but hopefully you are also impressed by how few mistakes there usually are!  I can be a little obsessive about proofreading.  Unless it's one of those days when I can't be bothered. . . which leads me to a ponder-worthy quotation I heard once: "When you can't be bothered, it usually means someone else will be.")

Anyway, both times I tried to blog on DH's touchpad ended with the durned contraption locking up and refusing to cooperate--it was not broken in any way, but was just being overly "touchy" (ha!) and downright cantankerous, stubbornly insisting it did not understand my poking and proddings.  (Yes, you could say that I was the one who did not understand how to properly use the thing, but nonetheless I refuse to absolve it.  It was created to be useful, and it refused to do my express bidding. Technology with an attitude is just too much for me.)

The whole reason I had such issues with a touchpad at all is because it suddenly seems as if all our usual, well-used bits of technology are reaching the end of their lives.  My phone can't seem to hold a charge anymore, and will randomly die and turn itself off, which I won't realize, since I think I *just* charged it.  Lots of missed calls result.  Please leave messages, friends, which I *might* receive in a few days after you call.  Sigh. 

Then our camera got sand in it on the last leg of our roadtrip, at the Great Sand Dunes--DH and I were being really careful with it, no one dropped it or handled it with sandy hands, but there were a few unexpected short gusts of blowing sand, and I guess that did it.  So, no working camera for our time at the Grand Canyon or Happy's 7th birthday when we got home. . . Sigh.

But the trouble most pertinent to this rant is with our computer:  our mouse freezes up, sometimes multiple times in one sitting, our keyboard batteries no longer want to hold a charge, and it just so happened last week our battery charger died at the same time the keyboard batteries did!  So, no charged batteries = no keyboard = me pecking away in frustration on DH's touchpad.

There are two conclusions to this rant:

1)  Thanks to my current 30-day Amazon Prime free trial, DH ordered a new charger and batteries which were delivered ASAP and as of Saturday morning TA DA I can type!!!! Yay!

2)  I am such the victim of FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS.  It was so good to keep reality in perspective through all this frustration--how completely over the top blessed are we, that these are the problems I am dealing with?

Source

In fact, I often find that the things that bug me in any given day are things that are really just reminders of my blessings.   The "First World Problems" meme is so funny because it is so pathetically true of most Americans:

this and following found here

 

Source

This and following images found here

Source

Oh, yes, I see myself in these. 

In a timely coincidence, one of my favorite bloggers, Lorraine from All Are Precious In His Sight wrote about this very topic this morning, sharing what Amy Block (from Building the Blocks) wrote about how her daily chores, needs, grumbles look so different now that God has her right where He wants her:

She writes:
He reminded me that the bathrooms I complained about cleaning were a blessing…That the dinner ideas I had so often whined about trying to come up with were a blessing…

And what I couldn’t help but to wonder was how many times in the past I had allowed Satan to distract me, to fill my head and my heart with my own shallow complaints, my own selfish wants, and my own agenda- that in the long run really don’t even matter. How much time had I wasted focusing on my own little world… when the world around me was crying out for [Jesus]?

The Blocks are a beautiful family, and their hearts are radiant with love for "the least of these" in Guatamala.  I encourage you to visit their blog and read the full post--the photos are what really give her words full meaning.  And would you please consider partnering with Village of Hope as they reach out to give real, hands-on help to a community in need?  

It could be somthing to do with all those linted pennies that are so annoying at the bottom of your purse. ; )

Seriously, I am so glad to be "back" and able to type, to share with you all what's in my heart and in my day.  I hope all of you have a great start to your week.