Amanda Blank
Staff Writer
alblank@valdosta.edu

I wake up with a headache on the day a big assignment is due in one of my classes. I’m already exhausted and now I have to take time out of my morning routine to take something to relieve the pain which also means I should probably eat breakfast, a rare occurrence in my daily agenda. The day starts off inconvenient and I can’t help but complain about it. Later, I open my e-mail to find a video about a little boy named Daniel with Cystic Fibrosis. He has to take 25 pills a day to help digest his food. It’s an awful feeling to think that I complain when I get a headache because of the inconvenience it causes me, but a 5-year-old boy in California must take seven medications each day to survive and doesn’t think twice.
It’s human nature to complain. We become dissatisfied when something is taken away from us or we are inconvenienced. Rarely do we stop to appreciate the things we have because they become less important than the things we’ve lost. I am guilty of complaining about petty things, such as having no time to see friends on the weekend because of school assignments due the following week. It rarely crosses my mind that I am fortunate enough to be in school and have the opportunities given to me because of the lessons I am being taught.
According to acomplaintfreeworld.org, the average person complains between 15 and 30 times each day. It takes about 21 days for a person to form a new habit. acomplaintfreeworld.org ispromotinge a bracelet designed by Will Bowen, pastor of Christ City Church in Kansas City, Mo., to help people stop complaining. Bowen’s goal is for people to quit complaining about things they don’t have in life and be grateful for things they do have.
A more recent example would be the loss of some people’s internet and cable last week due to flooding. I am equally guilty as others of complaining about not having my service fixed immediately, but it didn’t cross my mind  until seeing pictures that some people not only lost their internet and cable but also their homes. While some of us sat at home trying to find ways to entertain ourselves, others were finding places to stay and hoping they would have a home the next day.
It’s inevitable for us as humans to complain but before wasting too much time thinking of the negative, try taking the time to think about others and looking at the bigger picture on those days when things seem horrible. Also, don’t forget to appreciate what you do have. As Tom Wilson wrote, “You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have roses.”

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Who I am and what I do: Hi, I am Amanda Blank and I am a senior English major concentrating in journalism. I am a staff writer for the Spectator, and I am also the travel editor for On Tap magazine. I have been writing for the Spectator for two semesters. I love to write and enjoy being able to learn and share new information with others on campus.

Why this story is important: This story is a writer’s choice opinion piece that I feel is important because it reminds people that even though life is tough sometimes and things happen we don’t necessarily like, it is important to stop and appreciate the good things in life. Some people complain over minor things, which is natural, but it is important to remember the bigger issues and worse situations some people have to deal with.

What I did to get this story: I thought about everyday situations that people complain about and decided to incorporate them into the story compared to bigger situations. Since this was an opinion piece I did not have to do any reporting. I did look at acomplaintfreeworld.org which provided me with some statistical information as well as information about a man named Will Bowen who has tried to stop people from complaining.

Online links to the information used in this story: acomplaintfreeworld.org