Perspective

On the final mile of this morning's run, I went by a blind man trying to make his way on the sidewalk that runs along the sides of Titan Park. I just shook my head as he poked around with his stick, trying to negotiate the poor quality Romanian sidewalk. Knowing the tendency of cars to actually use the sidewalks as a parking lot (or sometimes a passing lane!), it is a miracle that he even stays alive in this city. In a place with such ridiculous amounts of government regulation (it practically takes an act of congress to get a drivers license, get a visa, or sell a car here), it's absolutely criminal that more facilities aren't provided for the disabled. With my departure from Bucharest looming this fall, I seem to be more frustrated than normal at certain aspects of life here. The important thing though is not to waste time complaining about the failings of Bucharest, but to take stock and be thankful for the many, many blessings I've been given. In about 6 months, I will likely be back running in the greatest country in the world while that same blind guy will still be trying to negotiate the bumpy sidewalks of Bucharest. A little perspective can be pretty useful, eh?