It Could Be Worse

Just as with any memorable road trip, the journey of life is bound to hit a bump or two or even a seemingly never ending wave of them. I’ve spent a lot of time the past few months trying to figure out how to train myself to better handle these frustrating and rather discouraging bumps. After all, there are some cars that can take a speed bump at 60 without even flinching. How do they do that? Others have to slow to a snail pace, twist sideways and still bear down for impact. Blasted lowriders.

A professor in my department stops by my office at least once a week. I ask him how he is doing and he replies the same way every time in his thick New York accent, “It could be woerse”. I wish you could hear it. Old men make me laugh. Still he has a valid point. I’ve been using this line a lot recently to lessen the utter life-sucking overwhelmingness that manages to accompany life's road hazards. For example:

1) I was recently t-boned by a red light runner. My beautiful brand new car spent 3 weeks in intensive care and still has a few bruises and my neck is still sore. However, it could be worse. The other guy could have had no insurance or failed to claim responsibility and I’d be stuck with a very hefty bill and no car. Also, if I was in my old car, I am pretty sure I’d have no legs.

2 ) I now have to share my glorious window-filled office. This has been rather upsetting for a variety of reasons. However, it could be worse, I could be back in a stupid cubicle or I could have no job at all.

I am not convinced this is the perfect coping mechanism, but right now it seems to be a fairly accessible. When I think something is terrible, it's always possible to find a worse thing. There is something slightly cathartic in that.

So even though life isn't as fairy tale as I’d like it to be right now, and there is no way I could be the spokesperson for how to gracefully punch stress in the face; things could most definitely worse. I could be Lindsey Lohan. Yikes.