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We All Have Challenges

2021.12.06
It can be easy to start feeling sorry for yourself. You have too much homework. You don’t have enough money. You can’t go out to enjoy time with friends because of the Covid situation. It’s natural to feel pessimistic sometimes and wish for a better or easier situation to be in.

I guess I am no different than others in that respect. However, recently I came across three stories of hardships that made me realize challenges in our life come in degrees. There are situations more seriously desperate than the one I am presently experiencing.

The first story I found in a YouTube video. It was a dramatic recreation of the shipwreck of a man sailing solo across the ocean. He lost his ship in a storm and escaped in a tiny inflatable raft. He had some tools, some floating stills to make fresh water, and some cans of food and water. His raft almost sank once after he accidentally ripped a hole in it. His raft was hit by a large shark. He could sometimes see ships in the distance, but none noticed him. He spent more than a month drifting alone with little or no food. He was desperate, exhausted and lonely. When he was ready to give up, he reached a small island and was found by fishermen.

The second story was a book I read about the ‘underground railroad’. This was a name given to the escape routes for slaves during the 1800’s in the United States. The unbelievable hardships experienced by slaves and the dangerous attempts at escape showed the cruelty and inhumane treatment they experienced. Slaves who managed to escape and reach relative safety could often never again see their families who remained in captivity. The stories of struggles of the slaves and the support they received from people who helped them reach freedom were powerful.

The last story I also saw on YouTube. It was an interview with a man in America who has survived two attacks by a grizzly bear in the same day. The man encountered a mother bear with two cubs in the forest. After the bear attacked once, it ran away. The man thought he then had a chance to hike back to his car. A short time later the bear returned and again attacked him, severely cutting his head and breaking his arm. After that the bear stopped attacking and left. He was seriously injured but managed to walk back to safety. He even drove himself to a local hospital.

The hardships experienced by people in these stories and the ways they overcame them were very inspiring to me. We all have troubles in our daily lives, but we need to keep things in perspective. There can be chances to change our situation for the better.

Photo credit: Janko Ferlic@pexels.com 

Quiz

Q1. How long did the man spend in the raft?
a) 3 weeks
b) 25 days
c) More than a month

Q2. What were the people using the underground railroad trying to escape?
a) Slavery
b) Drought
c) Floods

Q3. How many times was the man attacked by the bear?
a) Twice
b) Once
c) Five times

Scroll down ↓ for the answers































A1. c
A2. a
A3. a

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