I thought I had problems

Like many of you, I have become unnaturally addicted to Pinterest.  I love that I can bookmark things I love without clogging up my favorites folder.  I have seen a saying on there several times that means even more to me now than ever.  "If everyone threw their problems into a pile so you could see them, you'd quickly take yours back."  Or something to that effect.

Borders Books went out of business in stores so a couple of weeks ago when they were in their final days, we made a trip.  I decided to expand my normal book reading horizons and picked out some books that I probably wouldn't normally read.  The first one I picked out to read was "Honeymoon in Tehran" by Azeda Moaveni.  She is an American-born journalist whose parents moved to the United States from Iran after the revolution in 1979.  She lived there for nearly a decade writing pieces that showed what life was like in Iran, often butting heads with the government.  She doesn't really truly understand what life is like in Iran until she marries and has a son.  To read of the oppression these people suffered just left me feeling so grateful for the life I have.  I don't have to worry much about some of the things these people faced every day.  Censorship - papers being shut down that reported anything the government didn't like, greatly limiting access to internet sites and blocking nearly all TV channels.  Inflation - even the middle and lower-upper class could barely afford to survive.  Two bedroom apartments sell for over $1 million and often the fresh fruit that is a staple in the Iranian diet was too expensive to purchase.  Being told what to wear - women as stopped on the street and arrested if their dress is not deemed appropriate by the thuggish Basiji (kind of like a national guard) or the police.  Harassment - being threatened, imprisoned and beaten for having any vocal opinions that differ from that of the regime.  Smog - the pollution in Tehran is far worse than anything we experience here in the US.  Most days it's advised for children, elderly and pregnant women to stay home because of the hazardous air.  Disrepair - sidewalks are often so uneven that it would be impossible to push a stroller along them.  And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

It truly makes me grateful to live in a country where I can wear what I want, go where I want, watch what I want, listen to what I want, believe what I want.  The people of Iran are so beaten down that even though they will angrily cry foul, they don't dare rise up against the regime for fear of imprisonment in horrible conditions, beatings or even death.  It's not unheard of during time when the people do demonstrate for the Basiji and the police to place civilian dressed officers in the crowd to shoot at random.  We often view the Iranians as we view the government - harsh, strict, uber conservative, radical.  But many of the people in that country hate what has become of their beloved motherland and feel strongly that the current regime is ruining their lives.  Unfortunately, because of the brutal tactics used, they are powerless to do anything to change it.

So the next time you think to complain about your lot in life, just remember there are people out there who have it far worse off than you do.  At least you have the right to complain openly without fear of harassment, imprisonment or death.