Malcontent

OK, this was the second work-free weekend in a row. It feels great. Last weekend I was in London. This weekend we had friends visiting. Large sit-down dinners with multiple courses were consumed, gelato was eaten in sun-kissed piazzas, castles were visited. When people who don't live here imagine what life in Italy would be like, this is what they think it is like 24/7. Why spoil it? Let the suckers dream... (unless of course they read this blog on a regular basis, in which case, I'm slowly ruining it for them).

But, you know, we are all malcontents. The whole weekend in London I kept checking off a mental list of things that were better there: no/little graffiti, no trash on the ground, civilized people who answer questions politely and don't seem to be trying to rip you off at every turn, a public transportation system so comprehensive you don't need a car, an abundance of cheap and tasty ethnic foods, pristine green parks maintained for public use, readily available work opportunities. You name it - it just seemed better. But then while standing in a pub trying to decide which of the various bitters on offer to order, I began to talk to two old men. London natives, they had moved up to the Midlands ten years before but were back in town for a weekend visit. After recommending a bitter, they began to go on and on about how horrible London has become and how they'd never move back there (ironically, I think the bitter they suggested was called London Pride - hee hee). The next day I went to meet a British friend who works at a big newspaper. I was curious to get his perspective as we do the same work and I wondered what London would be like for my field. He explained that he's actually looking to move out of London and back to his hometown, which is several hours away on the seaside. He cited long commute times on unreliable trains, the expense of living in London with children (he has two and a third on the way) and gray weather as his major complaints. Then British TV was full of programs about people who had either left England for sunnier pastures or people hoping to in the near future.

Why can we never just be happy with what we have? I count myself as one of the biggest offenders of this and I truly have a lot for which to be happy.