Annabell Lackner, Grade 12
UWCEA Arusha Campus
I walk through my hometown, smiling and enjoying the warmth of the sunshine on my slightly bronzed skin. Continuing my way, I inhale the fresh air scented with the smell of blossoming flowers. Following the street, I listen to the silence surrounding me, which is only disturbed by the sounds of nature. How lucky am I to be here!
Though what I hear when I talk to my fellow Austrians is complaining and crying, envy and regret. We are in a crisis; they say. War is going on, they say. Inflation is rising and simultaneously pulls uncertainty paramount. They are suffering; they say.
Here we are, us white Europeans complaining about the injustice in the world. Frankly, I wonder, what gave us the right to immerse in such a desperate stream of frustration?
Aren’t we the ones living the example of a socialist dream? Transfers here, financial support there; the crisis is here but who gets to suffer? Certainly not a privileged middle-class that can still afford to go on several holidays per year and renovate their budget with the help of some federal funding.
Aren’t we also the ones strolling on crowded promenades just to enter the next best fashion store or car house and reward ourselves with the trendiest novelty? Quantity AND quality, is the name of the game.
And aren’t we the ones dining in restaurants, choosing from an encyclopaedia-like menu just to throw half of it into the waste anyway? The sad reality is that expiry dates set far before the actual moment of inedibility as well as regulations on the appearance of legumes only serve to fuel our consumption.
Aren’t we among the few that have access to free health care? All it takes is a ride to the next pharmacy and an enthusiastic expert will be happy to hand us free PCR tests, free masks, and often free medication.
Apart from that, although having been involved in both world wars, we are the ones that have benefited from freedom, peace and (almost) equal rights throughout close to 80 years without armed conflicts?
Sure, it is getting harder: prices are skyrocketing, many are struggling and we have to renounce one thing or another. However, it would be unfair to deny all the positives in our lives and let them disappear behind a cloud of fear, disappointment and envy. Times like these should remind us of how lucky we are to only be the victims of our usually small and sometimes bigger issues.
Hence, I will, and I ask everyone else in my position to do so, stop complaining and start walking through life with open eyes to become aware of all the privilege enveloping us.
Though what I hear when I talk to my fellow Austrians is complaining and crying, envy and regret. We are in a crisis; they say. War is going on, they say. Inflation is rising and simultaneously pulls uncertainty paramount. They are suffering; they say.
Here we are, us white Europeans complaining about the injustice in the world. Frankly, I wonder, what gave us the right to immerse in such a desperate stream of frustration?
Aren’t we the ones living the example of a socialist dream? Transfers here, financial support there; the crisis is here but who gets to suffer? Certainly not a privileged middle-class that can still afford to go on several holidays per year and renovate their budget with the help of some federal funding.
Aren’t we also the ones strolling on crowded promenades just to enter the next best fashion store or car house and reward ourselves with the trendiest novelty? Quantity AND quality, is the name of the game.
And aren’t we the ones dining in restaurants, choosing from an encyclopaedia-like menu just to throw half of it into the waste anyway? The sad reality is that expiry dates set far before the actual moment of inedibility as well as regulations on the appearance of legumes only serve to fuel our consumption.
Aren’t we among the few that have access to free health care? All it takes is a ride to the next pharmacy and an enthusiastic expert will be happy to hand us free PCR tests, free masks, and often free medication.
Apart from that, although having been involved in both world wars, we are the ones that have benefited from freedom, peace and (almost) equal rights throughout close to 80 years without armed conflicts?
Sure, it is getting harder: prices are skyrocketing, many are struggling and we have to renounce one thing or another. However, it would be unfair to deny all the positives in our lives and let them disappear behind a cloud of fear, disappointment and envy. Times like these should remind us of how lucky we are to only be the victims of our usually small and sometimes bigger issues.
Hence, I will, and I ask everyone else in my position to do so, stop complaining and start walking through life with open eyes to become aware of all the privilege enveloping us.
www.unitedworldwide.co