Stop Complaining, You’ve Got it Pretty Good by Stacey Honowitz

     This week while I was tweeting away about sex abuse and my books, (because the Sandusky trial is going on) I came across a very interesting tweet from a celebrity. I follow many of them in the hopes that someone will endorse my books, and they will get some more national exposure. We all know that if a celebrity likes something, it will sell no matter what it is. I usually like to follow them on twitter because they report every single thing that they are doing at every moment, in an effort to stay current with their fans.The more followers they have, the better it is for them, especially if they are trying to hock something and they want to generate publicity.

     The tweet that I saw was from a woman who has become quite famous. She started out on a reality show and has catapulted herself into fame and fortune and several endeavors. She has shared her life on television, basically keeping nothing a secret. She has showed her fans everything, from her sex life to her daily conversations. Nothing had been hidden. She definitely has “made it” and I don’t belittle her hard work and dedication that she has put into her product. 

     Now she is quite wealthy, has a staff, and  seems to have free time on her show to go for lunch, exercise classes and furniture shopping for a fabulous new apartment that she has just bought. Again, I am not taking away her sense of entitlement based on her financial status, I am just laying the groundwork for the why I found her tweet to be both ridiculous and so out of touch with reality. She  now has made it to the big time, and I think that sometimes when people have found fame and fortune in their lives, they seem to forget that most of us do not have the advantages that they do.

     I remember reading her tweet and thinking to myself, “are you kidding?” Here is what she said. “Ugh, can you imagine that I am trying to raise a daughter, promote and tape my new show, and now I have to find a new place to live while I am out here?” Now, some of you might wonder why I am so put off by those three little sentences, and why I find the need to talk about it.

     I think I was so bothered by it because I had one of those mornings that most of us have who are trying to “do it all.” I am a single mother, without live in help, raising a daughter, and working full time trying to make ends meet. That particular morning was a doozie. My daughter pulled one of her numbers where she took out every article of clothing  and tried them all on while I was screaming “let’s go, I am late for court”. After saying that about thirty five times, and her still not listening, the dog started barking like a mad  indicating the need to go out. I was running around in five inch heels trying to grab the leash, grab my daughter and get outside. My daughter was trying to chase butterflies, I was trying to chase her in my heels in the grass, and the dog was pulling my arm off trying to go in the opposite direction. It was 5,000 degrees outside (in Florida)  I kept looking at my watch, sweating like a pig, thinking about how late I was going to be. I felt guilty because I had to get to court, rather than chase butterflies, and I was a mess.

     The dog finally did her business, but as sheepdog she manages to get her business all over the back of her. Now, I have her chained to the handle of my car door, because I can’t take her back in the house because as my daughter was screaming “she has doody all over her tushy”. Now, I am standing there, in a dress, high heels, sweating, trying to watch my daughter and hosing down the backside of my dog who keeps trying to get loose. That’s my morning.  I wouldn’t trade it for the world, but I am sure having a staff, and a dog cleaner upper would come in handy. 

     All I am saying is this. Most of us live in a world where we do it all ourselves. We don’t have the luxury of running around at the drop of a hat for lunch or shopping. We are raising kids without assistants and nannies. We go to the grocery store in between appointments, working full time, and figuring out the best activities for our kids. We don’t have drivers, a staff, a ton of money or the ability to pick up the phone and because we are famous get whatever we want.

     Somehow, though, we all make it work. There might be a little bitching and complaining, but we know we have to get it done. Her tweet made it seem like she is the only one who is exhausted and trying to “do it all”.  Come back down to earth and see what the real world does everyday. I think you should be counting your blessings  being in  your position, just we count our blessings, being in ours.