^{Photo courtesy of NYTimes}

Have you ever had the sort of day where you walk from one catastrophe to the next and feel like there's no way the situation will ever improve? I certainly have. In the heat of the moment, every red light, every checkout line, every petty argument feels like it'll be the one that just pushes me straight over the edge. But what's waiting for me over that edge? Fortunately, just a bit of frustration. I have a home, a job, a family, and the right physical and emotional support structures in place to ensure that these "catastrophic" days are just bumps in the road that will soon pass.

Others are not so fortunate...

This photo wasn't taken in some distant third world country - it was taken on the banks of the Ala Wai Canal, which runs straight through the heart of Waikiki. Believe it or not, Hawaii has the highest per capita homeless population in the US, and it's still growing. I work near a major bus stop in downtown Honolulu that is so crowded with homeless people that it's jokingly referred to as the "Homeless Depot". A Walgreens was recently built at that intersection, and their slogan could not have provided a more ironically stark contrast with their surroundings:

While waiting in that Walgreens one afternoon to pick up a prescription for one of my daughters, I overheard a disheartening conversation between a pharmacist and a customer. The customer was a fairly young and healthy looking man, but walking with a pronounced limp. Closer inspection revealed that his right foot was swollen to nearly twice the size of his left. He was trying to get antibiotics to treat a painful infection in that foot. The pharmacist informed him that the pills were not covered by his insurance and that he would have to pay $160 out of pocket to fill the prescription. He said he didn't have that money, and that he had lost his construction job on Maui and his COBRA medical coverage should still be valid. At that point another pharmacist called my name and I grabbed my prescription - no hassle, no payments, just a couple signatures and I was done. As I walked away, I could faintly hear a tense negotiation between the increasingly distressed customer and the apologetic pharmacist to get the first couple doses for a lower price and then try to sort out this insurance and come back for the rest.

I don't know where life has taken that man since, but as I walked out the store, I imagined the string of worst case scenarios that could lead him to join the throngs at the Homeless Depot. This untreated infection could fester and spread to other parts of his body. Would he be hospitalized for a more serious illness? Would that bankrupt him? Could he lose that foot? Could he find work again? Did he have a wife or children depending on him? This seemingly minor foot infection could trigger a downward spiral in this man's life. For someone who is already living at the edge, it doesn't take much to fall into the abyss.

Which brings me back to my original question about the catastrophic day where nothing goes my way. No matter how frustrating life can be, it helps to take a step back from time to time and see my "first world problems" for what they really are. . . minor annoyances in an otherwise very fortunate life.

A little perspective goes a long way.