Anywhere but Here

12/08/2009 scrutan

I guess I never really thought about it from a logical stance, but maybe it’s true.  I’ve grown up in a bubble all of my life.  I mean I grew up in a suburban town in Texas and then in NJ.  I grew up learning all about how to speak to adults and the meaning of respect.  My parents always taught me that there were things outside of my little bubble, but I guess I never thought that they’d be able to affect me.  I mean, come on! A 22 year old college student affected by the goings-on of the outside world! Pscht.

But man oh man, was I wrong.  I’ve learned through experience that life isn’t fair.  That things don’t always happen the way I want them to but that I have to continue on, because if I don’t, I won’t accomplish anything.  As previously stated in past blogs, I’ve wanted to volunteer abroad for a few years now and just haven’t been able to find the time to do it. I don’t know how true that statement is, or if it is whether or not I’m terrified that I wouldn’t be able to handle the elements.  I think that I’ve taken a lot of things for granted in my life. I mean as I look around my room now, I see that I have a cellphone, laptop, computer, light!, TV, a bed, a working toilet, and even clothing.  I know that I’ve taken this for granted and especially since it is around Christmas time, I think we all become a little more stingy than in most other times of the year. And it’s sad when I actually think about other people who don’t have things like that. Who don’t have water or a bed or clothing to put on themselves.

As I was looking through MSNBC, I found pictures of East Africa’s refugee camps and how they are scrummaging around where the littlest bit of water.  I actually had to stop and think about that for a minute.  I mean here I am, taking 20 minute showers in the morning, leaving my water running when I’m brushing my teeth and taking for granted something as simple as water.  It actually disgusts me the way that I have acted over the past 22 years of my life when there are obviously hundreds of thousands of people who don’t even receive that!  

These are the pictures that I found and maybe they’ll make you rethink the things that we hold so close to us when there are people who don’t have such items:

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