All of Our Problems Are First World Problems

Urban Dictionary defines "First World Problems" as Problems from living in a wealthy, industrialized nation that third worlders would probably roll their eyes at.

Grammatical and philosophical issues in that sentence aside, there lies a deep truth that in Mr. and Mrs. O's culture, people tend to get upset and obsess over issues that would be considered trivial anywhere else. Some examples:

These stand in contrast to what some would call "actual problems", like a lack of food, clean water, sanitation, medicine, education or electricity - things most people take for granted every day. These are all major issues for everyday Ghanaians. When one thinks about this, it can put things into perspective:

Mr. and Mrs. O have come to realize that all of their problems are first world problems and barring a catastrophic disaster, revolution or other major calamity, that is all they will be. When the power goes out (and it does often), the generator kicks in. When the polytank runs out of water, a tanker truck comes to fill it. When the internet goes down, Mr. O's smartphone becomes a wifi hotspot (this implies he has both a laptop, smartphone and money for internet and phone access).

The problems that Mr. and Mrs. O have to deal with are slightly more mundane: When the local supermarket runs out of bread flour, they can't make pancakes. The security guard is asleep when a delivery is expected. The househelp doesn't know how to properly crease pants when ironing. There are too many air conditioners in the house, but how many should be on?

As a social worker friend has said: your problems are valid because they are your problems, based on your life experience. While Mr. and Mrs. O's "problems" may not be relevant to the average Ghanaian, the average Ghanaian's problems would not be relevant to people a hundred years ago. ("You mean you have a magic box that beams images from around the world into your house, but you are upset that you can only get THREE channels?")

All that to say, it is okay to whine about power outages, water shortages, bad smells and bad drivers, because these are all problems that make our lives challenging in our current context. The trick is to understand that in whining about one's problems, there needs to be a conclusion. One can either:

1. accept that they are problems that are out of their control (eg. the mosquitoes are out);
2. accept that they are problems that are out of their control, but that will be one day solved (eg. malaria vaccines are on the horizon, but in the meantime I will stay vigilant); or
3. understand at how one can contribute to solving the problem and then acting on it (eg. if I improve drainage and reduce standing water around the house, there will be fewer malarial mosquitoes).

It can be difficult to remember the hierarchy of problems and the most logical responses, but it is part of Mr. and Mrs. O's strategy for mental and emotional survival in Accra. For hundreds of years, foreigners have come, spent their sojourns complaining about their many problems here and stayed shut in their first world houses, drinking copious amounts of gin. Mr. and Mrs. O do this too (they prefer chocolate), but they try to occasionally get out of the bubble, understand the context of their problems and to enjoy the amazing privilege that has been bestowed upon them and understand how their actions can increase or decrease the more immediate problems of others.