Gratitude's Contrast

Like alot of people from my generation, I can remember my Mom and Dad telling me, "Finnish your dinner, don't you know there's children starving in Africa? ".  At the time this meant absolutely nothing to me.  Why would it? back then, and to this day Ive not come anywhere close to starving to death, Tell you the truth I cant remember the last time I even went a little hungry for any particular reason. So how can I expect to be able to wrap my head around the idea that I should be so very grateful for the humblest of any meal that I may receive? I suppose I cant, This is something I must seek out. You see I'm on a spiritual journey now, and part of that is trying to understand why myself and so many other people are disturbed, depressed, lost, the list goes on and on. Have I become so de-sensitized to the core things that I really need, that I simply take them for granted without even questioning the amazing circumstances that go into my cup running over and over, every day of my life?, frankly YES! This is an exercise that I do every now and then to snap myself back into reality. I hold my breath ,10 seconds go by, and now my main focus is no longer on whatever It was that I thought I couldn't live without. 15 seconds, I am no longer interested in what I was supposed to be doing or where I was going. 20 seconds, I no longer care about my car my job and a number of things that until my recent lack of oxygen were so very important to me. 30 seconds go by and the ONLY thing I'm concerned with is taking a breath of this air that has been given to me free of charge for 40 years.  Perhaps I should try fasting every now and then? Would that give birth to a deeper appreciation of the meals that I expect to be on time, hot and delicious at my slightest fancy. So this is what I'm on about, on the gray scale of my life, in the reality of what I need to be at peace and the excess that I'm blessed with, I should be bouncing around all over the place like daffy duck, when he goes crazy, at the sheer awesomeness of my comfortable existence. but all to often I find myself wanting for more or complaining with the air that has been given to me so freely. so little by little I will continue to explore and practice new ways to keep on realizing that I've never had it so good!! Love you all!! for real..