(no subject)

[oakenguy]

I have this strange relationship with praying. It always feels wrong to ask for something for myself, because I can instantly think of 10 people who have things much worse. So my prayers wind up sounding like, "Hi Universe, what a day, huh? Wouldn't wanna go through that again. Anyhow, please help Tony with his eyesight, and Nana with her bedsores and the crappy nursing home...and, well, how're you doing? I bet you probably get tired of folks praying and asking you for stuff, huh?"

Today, perfect example. Last night at 1AM, I drove through a giant post-thunderstorm puddle, and my car sputtered and died. Pushing it off the road, calling AAA...it sucked.

But I've got a sense of perspective after reading today's news. Because compared to having an aquarium's giant exhibition tank explode, showering me with glass and SHARKS (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4737461.stm), my problems seem very petty.

Comments

[jesshartley.livejournal.com]

Wow.
Yeah, my day is definately going great in perspective.

fuck!

[dianasblackrose.livejournal.com]

Man.. I am glad that woman is OK though.. Aside from all the "stress" Seriously, sorry about your car.. :( I still hope you are able to get here on friday!

[paleltlspider.livejournal.com]

I know I shouldn't be laughing, but ...

Glass and sharks. Whoah boy.

[malterre.livejournal.com]

Praying for yourself is fine. Just don't forget everyone else ;-)
Hey, I've been hoping you'll drop me an email (he-who-will-not-answer-the-phone)
Whenever I get too self involved, I try to say
"Tsunami"

But glass and sharks are pretty nasty too...

[phobean.livejournal.com]

Being 'showered' with glass and sharks seems like a TERRIBLE experience!

That said, go ahead, pray for yourself - why the heck not? Selflessness can get a little out of hand. Be selfish once in a while.

[claire-d.livejournal.com]

I heard this interesting thing about praying once. It said that you should always pray for other people and not for yourself. But, the rewards that you'll get for doing it, will be huge x

[lilacsinmarch.livejournal.com]

Ah yes,the old "bleeding in the water when there are sharks around" routine,it never fails.

[danielgreyman.livejournal.com]

I am curious to know how such trauma causes you to loose your job as a sales associate. Of course, if we look now, she's probably a professional reef diver and we'll be seeing her new show on the Discovery Channel for Shark Week.

[fightguy.livejournal.com]

Oh, I hope so..!

[flopart.livejournal.com]

in the past few years i've become what i affectionally call an existential buddhist. in crappy situations (like getting hit by a rock on the highway in the rain and breaking down and stranded for a million hours... sounds like our driving expirience is similar) my reaction is usually to laugh when stressed, because i realize 1.) it's not the end of the world, it's just annoying 2.) other people do have it worse

in life threatening situations, i'm generally trying to find a way to solve the problem, but if it's not in my hands, generally i'm preparing myself for whatever happens. i stopped really -praying- a while ago... i just sort of accepted that things are going to happen.

existential buddhism.

hm.

[flopart.livejournal.com]

actually, reading the other comments here, i'm reminded of the tsunami. i remember watching the news, watching the numbers rise, and just crying.

i wear my heart on my sleeve...

[bootsvalentine.livejournal.com]

*shudder* This is why I can't go to the aquarium, despite the promise of penguins.

[sistahraven.livejournal.com]

Woah... On top of it all, she was *bleeding* next to the sharks! Gah! Sorry to hear about your car! If my car weren't dead as well, I'd have her teach your car how to swim... because for some reason my car floats...

[ngakmafaery.livejournal.com]

...poor sharks! and whoever got scared or hurt!

[wanderingrogue.livejournal.com]

...But are the sharks okay?

[callunav.livejournal.com]

I'm just wondering why the writer of the article felt the need to use the word 'claims' repeatedly. I think that it's not too hard to imagine that having a wall of glass explode out at you laving you submerged and bleeding in shark-filled water would in all likelihood /be/ traumatizing. I don't see this as being so far-fetched.

People who are refexively dismissive of anything involving the word 'trauma' piss me off. Let's see how well *you* do at work after a week straight of nightmares and flashbacks about sharks, Mr. Smarmy Writer.

Bri, you're sweet. Maybe you could work out a quid pro quo arrangement with the gods, do something you think they probably want done every few days and then mention off-handedly that not having any more hospital visits for either you or your dog for a while would be great.

claims...

[(Anonymous)]

Could be a legal thing. Like how crimes are always allegations until proven. Media organizations are probably nice and paranoid, with millions of readers all waiting to reach for the phone and call their lawyer is anything goes amiss.

Stephen in NZ

[foresthouse.livejournal.com]

Aaaiiieeee! SHARKS!

Wow, and I thought I had it bad b/c it was 96 degrees in DC yesterday!