Let he (or she) who is without sin cast the first stone

It has been brought to my attention that I am not allowed to complain about my current situation regarding the lack of power and response from Jersey Central Power & Light because there are people who are worse off than I am. Well, duh.

I know I am fortunate that our house and cars didn’t suffer any damage, and that our family is unhurt. But that doesn’t make what we’re going through right now any easier.

I have friends who lost everything. I have friends who will be able to salvage their homes, for the most part, but at great financial expense. I have one friend who is lucky to be alive after deciding to ride out the storm at her family’s now-totaled beach house. And after seeing pictures and video of the devastation, my heart hurts for people I have never met and will never meet. No one should ever have to experience what the victims of Hurricane Sandy are currently going through, particularly the hardest-hit victims.

But this does not mean I am not allowed to complain.

Have you ever complained about your boss or your work situation, whether on Facebook or while out with friends? Well, guess what: There are people who are much worse off than you are. There are people who work in sweatshops for pennies an hour and receive beatings from their bosses. So I guess you are not allowed to complain about work anymore. That annoying customer doesn’t compare to a boss with a whip.

Have you ever complained about your relationship, or your significant other? Well, guess what: Right now, there are people being physically and mentally abused by the people who supposedly love them. You were cheated on? Hell, there’s probably a chick somewhere who just found out that her boyfriend had a threesome with her best friend and her sister. So by that logic, you are not allowed to complain about your relationship anymore.

The weather? It’s worse somewhere. You hate Monday? Monday is just another day when you’re in prison.

Think of the things you complain about on Facebook, or in conversations with friends. I’m willing to bet that no matter what topic you come up with, there are people worse off than you.

So unless you can tell me that you have never complained about anything trivial in your life, don’t tell me not to complain about something that is far from trivial. I have many friends on Facebook who vent or post repeatedly about topics I have no interest in. Rather than expecting them to tailor their conversation to my tastes, I simply move on. There will be other conversations.