Another Day in Paradise

How often do we complain about the stupidest little things that happen in our lives?   I’m talking about those moments when we only get 5 chicken nuggets in our 6-piece and suddenly our whole day is ruined. 

Just last night, a friend and I complained for a good 15 minutes about waffles.  I don’t have a toaster in my dorm, so I had to warm up some frozen waffles in my microwave (cooking tip: don’t do this).  The waffles came out soggy and tasted pretty gross.  We just sat there and stared sadly at the plate, complaining about how it felt like we were eating a hot sponge. 

In the middle of our waffle rant, a song started playing on my iTunes, which was lying on the floor of my dorm on shuffle-mode.  

Out of the thousands of songs that could have come on next, “Another Day in Paradise” by Phil Collins began to play.   I sat there for a moment as the irony of the situation washed over me.

  

For those of you who may not be familiar with the song, it focuses on the issue of poverty and tells the story of a homeless woman.   The woman in the song is reaching out to passersby on the street, who walk past her without a second glance.   The chorus says “think twice… it's just another day for you and me in paradise.” 

If you listen to it, I feel like the message of the song is pretty clear.  In a nutshell, it speaks about how much we take things for granted.   It’s about how often we whine and grumble about things when we actually have so much to be thankful for.  This isn’t to say that none of us have any real problems, of course we all do.  But how many times in a day do we complain about the minor things that “ruin our entire day.”   For those of you who haven’t seen the “First World Problem” memes, check out this link: http://thumbpress.com/25-pictures-of-the-most-comfortably-uncomfortable-first-world-problems/  

I love these because they use sarcasm to make a point; they’re funny and true, but at the same time they can make you think. 

Even with our economic problems, we know how good many of us still have it in this country compared to others, yet we continue to find things to complain about all the time.  How many times in a day do we whine about the smallest things without stopping to ‘think twice’ about those who would do anything to have the problems that we do?   I catch myself doing it all the time.  I pathetically spent 15 minutes complaining about a waffle, while so many people would be happy to just have one decent meal a day.

To me, this song is not only about homelessness and poverty, but also describes how often we turn a blind eye to the issue.   “He walks on, doesn't look back, he pretends he can't hear her… He starts to whistle as he crosses the street, seems embarrassed to be there.”   I believe the man in the song represents us… Americans, or society in general.  Collins uses a story to put our apathetic attitudes in perspective.  Not to turn a serious topic into a joke, but this song makes me think of a Dane Cook skit about this exact issue.   We all know poverty is a worldwide problem, but many of us have toned it out.  We don’t want to think about it because it makes us feel guilty.

It’s been said so often, it’s almost become a cliché.   After the millionth time of being told about the “starving kids in Africa” as children, most of us have become desensitized in a way.  It’s humbling to think that the “problems” we deal with every day are someone else’s paradise.

She calls out to the man on the street, "Sir, can you help me?
It's cold and I've nowhere to sleep. Is there somewhere you can tell me?"
He walks on, doesn't look back, he pretends he can't hear her
He starts to whistle as he crosses the street, seems embarrassed to be there

Oh, think twice, it's just another day for you and me in paradise
Oh, think twice, it's just another day for you, you and me in paradise
Just think about it

She calls out to the man on the street, he can see she's been crying
She's got blisters on the soles of her feet, she can't walk, but she's trying

(chorus)

Oh Lord, is there nothing more anybody can do
Oh oh Lord, there must be something you can say

You can tell by the lines on her face, you can see that she's been there
Probably been moved on from everyplace, cause she didn't fit in there

It's just another day for you and me in paradise.