One of those Americans

I read Veil of Roses today. It was written by Laura Fitzgerald. 

"God, you Americans, you make me crazy! You think everything's so easy. And maybe it is for you, but for the rest of the world, you know, well, lots of us struggle just to get through the day alive, and then we wake up to go through it all over again another day. Our lives are like a nightmare that never ends." -Tami

I am one of those Americans. I, con frecuencia, tell people that things are simple. Usually, I am talking to another American. I tend to think things are simpler than other people. When I studied abroad people told me they wished they could do that, but that they could never afford it. That's probably not the whole truth. The whole truth is that they didn't want to put the effort into finding a program they could afford, or simply start by believing they could find a program they could afford. Also, when I saved money to have a savings account, people say they can't ever have a chunk of money set aside, but really, they don't want to give up something they already have in their life. I don't know. To me, things are sometimes a lot simpler than people let them selves believe. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I've been a cushioned American for too long, but I think some of the "I can'ts" that make people so sad in life need to go. Make it happen. I think we were given life to live it mostly in happiness and when we find excuses for not having happiness it's just sad. Happiness can be simple. 

I guess the reason I wanted to explore this thought now is because I am early in my Peace Corps service (and I read that quote today), and I'm hoping my thinking will be challenged. When I look back at this post in two years, I hope that, changed opinion or strengthened, I hope to have had something force me to look at myself and my thinking. 

What do you think? 

Is happiness hard? 

Has my life simply been too easy? 

Does everything just fall into place for me?

Why is it so much easier to accept pain and sadness?