One of the biggest life lessons that has come out of Covid is the realization of the fact that we have been taking our lives for granted.
Medical treatments. Toilet paper. Soap. I use to lather in the shower like soap was falling with rain.
Even now, there are still half empty shelves at supermarkets. I remember when there was only excess. Modern living has made life pretty easy to survive. Do we ever stop and just say a 'thank you' to the universe? I didn't. I try to now.
Redditor u/dd28064212 wanted to compile a list of all the things we're lucky to have, and need to be grateful for, by asking:
What's a modern world luxury that we take for granted on a daily basis?
Just having a home is a modern luxury I've come to appreciate. People use to live in the wilderness. And now some people are forced to live in the street. A roof has definitely become a hot commodity. Which is sad.
And Papaya?
Hazel English Food GIF by Polyvinyl RecordsGiphy"The fact that I can get mangoes in Missouri in the middle of the winter is pretty cool."
- Clintman
"This is something that's not even common across the world. I hadn't given it much thought until I moved overseas and could only get stuff when it was in season."
- alexrt87
"simple"
"Running water."
"This! People don't realize how cool it is to have running water. They didn't have to go to a well with buckets and then carry them home."
"Technically, running water was more or less a thing before the modern world in some parts of the world, like the "simple" aqueduct in the roman empire. I think I read somewhere that some ME empire also had a more or less domestic running water system since the middle ages. but that's to fact check."
Connections
"Internet."
- dpmoeni
"The fact that most people in the world possess a device which can communicate with anyone else on the planet in real-time, while also having instant access to basically the entirety of human knowledge, and that device has its own power source and fits in a pocket, is absolutely astounding."
Temp Control
"Heating & cooling, life is so much more comfortable with the ability to change the temperature."
"Ancient civilizations did actually have temperature control techniques albeit not machines that pump air that is cooled and circulated throughout a structure. The old methods were done through architecture though Egyptians we're known to hang wet reeds outside of their windows."
Red all Year
happy homer simpson GIFGiphy"You can eat tomato every month of the year coming from everywhere in the world thanks to refrigeration, greenhouses (EDIT) and conservation techniques (pasteurisation for example)."
I love tomatoes. It's good to know I will never got without. Water. Everyone should have access to clean water. What a travesty.
Good Story
Spongebob Squarepants Popcorn GIFGiphy"This is a small one but continuity in shows. Up until about 20 years ago, most shows were heavily episodic and had little to no plot carry over. It was a rarity when an episode ended without reestablishing the status quo."
- BW_Bird
People
"The majority of human knowledge, freely available in easy-to-search formats."
- zenyl
"This is really the thing that would make me apprehensive if I had the choice of "living in the 80s as the richest man in the world". I just love the internet too much. I wanna lay in bed and watch documentaries."
Covid taught Us
"Toilet paper. It is just another thing we never think about until you're stuck with a poopy butt, scrolling Reddit while waiting for someone to bring you some since you forgot to get some from the garage."
"This is the first thing I thought of. I worked at a place that did not provide toilet paper; everyone had to bring their own and NOBODY shared. One day I was out of TP while in the restroom. I remember how gross and helpless I felt. Luckily I found some old Arby's coupons to wipe with. Don't take TP for granted!"
All Day and Night
"24/7 Entertainment. There are new TV shows, movies, shows, concerts, books, etc. popping up all the time, we have access to a wider range of diverse performances, stuff that past kings and emperors would have taken for wizardry. When I was a kid, there were some TV channels that stopped broadcasting anything at all after a certain hour. Now, TV is non stop. You can see shows and sports competition from the other side of the planet. And we still find a way to occasionally get bored."
Head Stuff
Odontologo Dentistas GIF by Clínicas Dentales Dra CarballoGiphy"Dental care. It wasn't that long ago that it was a sign of wealth to have had all of your teeth removed and own multiple sets of dentures (e.g. a set for eating, a different set for when you weren't)."
Dental care should be part of the healthcare system that is open to all. It's vital to life. Be more grateful kids, you never know when everything you have could vanish.
Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
@WSJ/X
@victinbcn/Bluesky
@EgioVictor/X
@bartije/X
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social