I was sitting outside, sipping on a cappuccino at one of my two new favorite cafes in San Francisco, with book in hand, enjoying the fact that I wasn’t in the sweltering Washington DC heat and humidity typical of the summer months there.  I was taking a bit of a break from my all encompassing job search, which as positive as I have tried to keep myself, has definitely been a struggle at times.  Across from me was the cafe’s garbage bin, and as I glanced up from my book, a homeless man walked up to the bin, rummaged through it for about ten seconds and then pulled out a partially eaten pastry, and ate the rest of it.

Many of us have been told at some point by parents, grandparents, and friends to appreciate what we have, and not to focus on what we don’t have.  I certainly fail at doing this way too much.  But this was one of those instances that I did appreciate what I have in my life: an incredible girlfriend, a loving family, and great friends, along with a place to sleep at night and food to eat throughout the day.  I was made to realize once again that things are usually not as bad as we sometimes might think they are.