Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: First World Problem (04/17/14)
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TITLE: You Think the Refugees in Sudan Have It Tough | Previous Challenge Entry
By Jim Newton
04/23/14 -
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The man trudged into his office with an angry look on his face. Noticing his annoyed countenance, a female coworker said, "Why Jack, you look as though someone just robbed you at gunpoint."
"Helen, if only it were that simple. I arrived home last night to find I had no cable TV. Some jerk had cut through the main line to our neighborhood. I cannot find words to describe the ghastly effect it had upon my evening. It was like living in some backward third world country. You just cannot imagine what I went through last night."
The next excerpt should not be read in the presence of children. It concerns a woman having her morning turned into a chaotic morass by some nefarious force beyond our comprehension. You might expect this in a place like Sudan, Guatemala, or Afghanistan but never in a civilized country like the United States of America.
Karen drove her Cadillac Escalade into the Starbucks on her way to the Women's Club meeting as she did every Wednesday to purchase her double-shot, triple whip cream, double sugar, pina colada flavored, nonfat vanilla cream, Chai Latte. After ordering at the drive up speaker and, as was her right as a US citizen and a driver of an over-financed Cadillac Escalade, she drove up to the window throwing her money in the window hitting the cashier in the face, saying, "Hurry up, I'm late for my Women's Club meeting. I'm the president."
The nineteen year old cashier of obvious lower class background stuttered, "I'm…I'm sorry…I'm…I think the Latte Machine is broke down and…"
"What do you mean broke down? I have to be at this meeting right now! I want to talk to your supervisor…now!"
"She is working on the machine and…"
"I'm an important person and I want your supervisor or I'll have you fired!"
"She said it would only be five minutes, ma'am."
"Five minutes! Are you kidding me! Tell her I'm calling the corporate office. I want your employee ID. You will not treat me like I'm some kind of common trash."
Next, we have the tragedy of a six year old girl. A heartbreaking story that people scoff at and say it is merely an urban legend.
Mrs. Plumesti sat in her car waiting to pick up her daughter, Suzie, from school as she did every day at this same time.
Today she looked up to see little Suzie burst from the entrance doors sobbing uncontrollably as she ran toward the car. Throwing the car door open, Suzie jumped into the back seat shouting, "Oh, Mama. Oh, Mama, I just can't go on like this. All the kids are laughing at me. I'm the only girl in first grade without an iphone. All I have is this old hand-me-down cell phone that doesn't even have texting on it. Oh, Mama, I'm gonna die."
Mrs. Plumesti turned and extended her hands to grasp her daughter's face gently. "My dear, dear child, maybe your father and I can go another ten or fifteen years with the same work clothes and drive our twenty year old cars another ten years to find enough money in the budget to buy that iphone you need. I'm sure we can put off paying some of the bills for such a noble cause. Wipe those tears away, my darling. Mama and Daddy will make things better. I know your father can work a third job if he sets his mind to it. We will not let our daughter be laughed at. Now, give me that big smile that melts Mama's heart."
These horror stories took place in the United States of America. Never get comfortable. Tragedy can strike without warning…even in this great country. The people in countries like Sudan think they have it tough. They don't know what tough is.
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21 NIV)
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WEll done!
God bless~