Who Could Complain About This?

I was talking to Linda, our CHA tour leader, on the bus yesterday and she said that in all of her years of leading groups, adults tend to be harder to manage than students. I asked why and she said that adults tend to complain more.

A couple hours later, I saw that verified. I heard complaints about the bus, complaints about the hotel elevator, complaints about the weather (it was warm), complaints about the size of the rooms, complaints about the hotel food, complaints about most everything. Meanwhile, my students were getting their baggage up to their rooms, adjusting to the new surroundings, and moving about without complaint. Good for them!

I am wondering this morning what I have to complain about. I am well-fed, loved and healthy and I am in Europe. Meanwhile, I have seen homeless people sleeping under bridges, people without feet or legs or arms panhandling on the streets and I have seen poorly clothed people passed out on subway benches. And then I have seen droves of people like me - with enough surplus money to fly 4000 miles to see and experience life on another continent. Just for the fun of it.

When I heard one lady complain particularly enthusiastically, I wanted to say this to her but I figured she'd just turn to her friend and complain about me. Such is life. (Which for me is very, very good.)