Have you ever heard a mother talking about her friend's children? Something like they are very successful, wealthy, caring for their parents, so on... They have cars while her own children still ride motorbikes (even an SH or Piaggio). They have a very large area of land on the outskirts of Hanoi while her own children still live in small flats. Perhaps she wishes her children to become her friend's children. In her eyes, her children are not very good at earning money, useless and dependent on their parents. Why doesn't she feel proud of her children? They are in good heath, they have a stable job, they often visit her, they do not commit any crimes...
Have you ever heard a colleague telling how rich her sister's family-in - law is? Listening to the stories makes us feel sorry for ourselves. Poor teachers. :-) Once or twice I asked my close friends if they had any stories about people like us, normal citizens to share.
Have you ever heard your relatives talk about how successful your cousins are? They are in the same generation as ours. But they have a really well-paid job, they own a nice building/flat, their children are good pupils, they live happily, they have a car, they have a maid at home ... It seems they belong to other categories of people in the society where we do dream of being.
Have you ever heard something like "When I was at your age, I could ... Why now you can't?"? Time always changes, people's life changes. Why we ask people of different generation to be able to do what we did in the past. I remember a story. A father told his son that when he was at his son's age he could do so many things. The son told him that at his age some body became President.
I never compare my son with other kids. I just tell him to try his best to do things. Whatever you do you should do with all your effort. I feel proud of him. (I don't know whether when I become older, I will lose my pride or not :-))
I don't say there is something wrong with such a good life. But I really don't like the way people show their feeling too proud of somebody else in front of others. I am not jealous with those who are considered to be good examples for us to follow. I am happy with most of aspects of my life. My old husband once told me that I was envious with his female friends. I said straightforward that I didn't have to be envious with anyone but they had to be envious with me. Why? I had a job, I had a child, I had a handsome husband... And now I am having a life as I wish.
