I am finally starting my UNESCO internship today. I don't know what to expect really, but I have a good idea of what to expect from the three classes I'm taking and should be able to juggle things alright this semester. Hopefully I didn't speak too soon!
There aren't many truths in life. Or maybe there are, and you discover and forget them continually. Well I just wanted to record one or two that I've had in the back of my head lately.
One is that there are always bad consequences when you live your day-to-day thinking you deserve something. Whether it is the belief that you deserve more than someone else because you worked harder or simply that you deserve anything, it seems to me like it only leads to bad things. You can argue that work has value and that you should be paid what you are worth, but I say we should drop the whole idea and consider things from a different perspective.
That other, better approach would be that we are only grateful for whatever we receive for what we do or who we are. This seems to always lead to good things--a positive outlook on the future, fewer regrets about the past, more meaningful moments at the present.
I saw a 50-55 year old white (probably French) woman begging in the metro yesterday. She was crying and asked repeatedly for a sandwich or something to eat. It was the first time I had seen a beggar actually crying. It is also rare to see white women of that age begging. I didn't have time to react, but if I had been a little more bold I could have caught her before she got out of the metro. I regret it.
Which leads me to a second truth of which I am still trying to convince myself is that you don't need to invent problems for yourself if you don't have any. I think a lot of the mental/social conditions that are prevalent in the rich, developed countries among ordinary citizens are the result of this act. It's just hard to reconcile your contentedness when you're constantly exposed to troubles in other parts of the world.
Well anyway, I am grateful for not having too many troubles. And I wish others had fewer. I hope I didn't speak too soon!
About Me
- AmbreFrancaise
- Originally from New Orleans, I have been living, working and/or studying in Paris since more or less 2006. My academic backgrounds are International Relations and French Culture and Language. I enjoy outdoor activities, traveling, working in multicultural settings, geography, writing...
1 comment:
True dat.
In sociology there is term i cant remember but essentially says that we are sold ideas and told we need to have certain things to be happy and at the same time are not provided the means to get these 'needs'. Aha it's called mean-needs or needs-means, one or the other. And it is used to explain social deviance. It's hard to be happy when you are constantly affronted with a. what you dont have b. what you have that others dont, in a selfish way and c. you have decreasingly less time to enjoy what you have.
Now, all you, AMBER, have to do is tell the rest of the world.
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