Why It’s Often Inappropriate To Complain Outwardly These Days

By

As common and subconscious complaining is to the human race, we often don’t realize how much we complain about the things that really don’t matter much in the grand scheme of life. Believe me, I am SO very guilty of complaining about almost anything, and I am taking this step to admit that.

Since I was young enough to understand, my dad always drilled into my head “Your generation. Really lazy, entitled kids”… and I always blew him off because in my mind, PSH dad come on… we’re not all THAT bad! We don’t expect thatttt much. But as I grow to explore people and this vast city, state, country, continent, WORLD that I live in, I have come to completely, well ok not completely, semi agree with what he has been telling me this whole damn time. Because let’s face it, while this world is filled with selfish self-absorbed meanies, it is also filled with kind hearted charitable caring people. But kids, believe me when I tell ya, Mom and Dad are pretty much always right. That’s not a fallacy…it’s the truth.

I am one to search the web pretty often throughout my 9-6 day at work, as I am sure most millennials do because my entire Facebook feed is clogged with viral videos, quizzes and articles on the daily… But one thing that I came across really changed my perspective and kind of lit this fuse… this bout of anger that I really didn’t know I had until recently.

A pretty A-list actor, who will remain nameless for the sake of his recent plea to stay out of the public eye, had written an article about his exit. His lament is quite long, and there are times while reading where I shook my head in agreement with him. Particularly about paparazzi harassing his wife and child, which I do believe is entirely inappropriate. What I did not agree with, or did not sympathize with, was his action to publish an article as a whole. To complain about his charmed life, and the millions of dollars he has made and how people think he is a great New Yorker because he is so “supportive” and “charitable” to local and national organizations and programs. Also because if you’re trying so hard to stay out of the lime-light…what are you doing publishing?

Mr. Famous Actor, Sir. I say this with the least disrespect to you and yours, mainly because no, I do not know what it feels like to be harassed by paparazzi or have neighbors be cross with you because of the attention your building receives by inhabiting it. No you’re right, I don’t know what it’s like to earn $10 mill for a commercial and being able to donate half of it to something that means the most to me. You’re quite right about that, Sir. But may I tell you what I do know? I do know that there’s a world out there. A really big, vast and scary place. A place where some people drink dangerous water because it’s all that is available to them. A place where children aren’t harassed by paparazzi, no, but they are harassed by the malaria carrying mosquitos that attack their weak bodies late at night. Wives whose husbands get drunk and hit them and hit their kids with a closed fist. Husbands who’s wives decide to leave them because they found a younger, wealthier man to fill their insecurities. The teens who decide suicide is their only option to flee from the bullies at school and online.

So while I am happy for you, that you are able to declare that you will now run away from the life you have created, please do think of those who are unable to run. The little boy who peers out of his window every night to find a shooting star to wish upon, to wish that his Uncle will soon leave him alone and not touch him anymore. Or the heartbroken father who sees his daughter shrivel up to nothingness because she thinks she is “fat”.

Please think twice before putting yourself back into the public eye to complain about your life, when the true suffering in this world goes by un-noticed or unheard. It’s ok to be upset, it’s ok to not be happy and to confide in your loved ones and the people closest to you because honestly that’s what good friends and family are there for (as long as you are there for them too). I can relate to you by feeling outspoken or upset, believe me. It’s called human emotion.

This is not my complaint about your article, this is my advice to you and to everyone else to just follow the age-old rule: Think before you speak. (OR…Complain).

So here it goes. My declaration of anti-deploration. “I will try my best to take everything I experience in stride, and to reevaluate my feelings and emotions before I complain about them.”

And I hope you all will do the same, my beautiful millennials, you!