Meta-first-world problem

I have a meta-first-world problem: nobody wants to hear about my first-world problems. I mean, they're ridiculous. I'm not even talking about "what the f* does it take to gain some weight? How much vegan fudge do I have to eat? How much oil do I have to pour over my pasta?" I'm talking about work.

Now, some people say that it's enough just to have a job, and so one shouldn't complain about one's job. But I raise those people this: I have a great job. I have an interesting, decently-paying job at which I am appreciated and to which it is easy to commute.

All that being true, things can still suck. I could be stuck working with difficult people, on a boring topic, and then I'd still feel a little bad complaining about my job, even though there would actually be things to complain about.

But I'm working with great people with whom I get along really well, and the topic is beyond fascinating, and I'm learning a ton. So I can't really complain.

There's an irony on top of that: how great are the people I work with/for? I can complain about things about which I can't complain. The other day, I said to my boss--prefacing the statement with, "you know how much I enjoy this project, which is why I can say this"--"I am so f*ing sick of this project. And we haven't even started writing yet." He laughed (genuinely, not awkwardly). He gets it. And being able to say that to him allowed me to fully go back to appreciating what a first-world problem it is.