A hallow victory...
One day after the International Day of Peace, I got to thinking. Yes, It is difficult to be a broke student trying to find a job in a bad economy with massive school loans weighing me down. Yes it is frightening to not have health insurance. Nonetheless, I am fortunate.
I have the luxury of sitting here by the window, typing and eating some pineapple. I have the luxury of discussion here on my blog--complaining about companies profiting off women's insecurities, about communication problems and relationships.
Had I been born to different parents, my life could be completely different. I might not have had the luxury of complaining.
I do not have to walk for days in the dessert heat, just to bring water to my family. I do not have to be afraid of being raped every time I go to the bathroom in my refugee camp. I do not have to cry as I look around at the women of my country, knowing that 9 out of 10 of my fellow women have been sexually assaulted. I will not be disowned and forced to commit suicide after being raped.
I am free from being violently thrown from my home, having nowhere else to go. I can rest in peace knowing that I will not be raped by an opposing side in a war that has nothing to do with me. I will not be humiliated. I will not be beaten. I will not have acid thrown in face, blinding and painfully disfiguring me on my way to school. I will not go to a school party and have fellow students assault me and leave me for dead under a bench.
I can sit here, in my quiet study, and know that I will fall asleep tonight safe in my warm bed. I want to make a difference in the world. I don't want to forget others whose lives are so full of hardships.
I don't want to complain. But it seems I have that luxury...
this is exactly the Appreciation that more people need to embrace. We need to recognize that the peace we feel in our first world standard of living is not the status quo. As great as we have it, we need to keep trying to make everyone's lives better though. Many people like to ignore the USA's injustices by pointing to other countries and saying "well it's better than there!" and give up on improving ourselves. I think that's wrong.
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