Tuesday, February 17, 2009

I Just Don´t Get It

Let me preface this post by saying that if you are anxious to read about my continuing adventures in Spain...skip to the next post. If you so choose to keep reading this entry, please be aware that I am taking the opportunity to write down some thoughts and vent a moment.

I have previously mentioned that the start of 2009 was a little rocky...dead electronics, bad haircut, etc etc. Little did I know that only three days after my last post on January 19th, I would truly come to know and understand what a "rocky start" is. Those of you following this blog likely will figure out what I am referring to, and if not, I do not know what to say. I do not plan on making any direct references to the incident over the internet.

Let´s just say that I am sick and tired of injustice in this world. I do not, nor will I ever understand what possesses one human being to intentionally and maliciously destroy the property of another or to purposefully hurt another. I do not understand violence. I do not understand superiority complexes. I do not undertand the big-to-do about race and ethnicity. I do not undertand why it is so difficult to look at each other and treat each other with respect, dignity, and equality.

When I was informed of the incident that so strongly affected my family in Colorado, I remember thinking immediately "things like that just do not happen here in Spain, especially not in Ubrique." And to a large extent, they do not. However, my utopic view of Ubrique was dented just a week later when the father of my friend´s boyfriend attempted to kill his wife and son by burning their house to the ground. Fortunately, niether his wife, nor his son were home. Almost exactly a week after that, my roommate informed me that one of her dear friend´s dad had committed suicide. Meanwhile, the world is in the worst economic state any of us can remember. Tensions between Israel and Palestine are at an all time high. Various countries continue to deprive and exploit their citizensl. Frankly, the world is falling apart. And I am disgusted by people.

Moral of the story: WAKE UP PEOPLE! Stop standing on the sidelines while we destroy each other. Stop thinking that someone else will step up and solve the problem. Newsflash...no one else is going to take the initiative. It is up to you (and me, of course). The world is destroying itself, not because of global climate change, but because of corruption, violence, and mutal disrespect for each other. Do not worry, the bubonic plague has long passed. In its place, however, a more dangerous and more threatening plague has arrived. Its name: apathy.

Oh wait, you can take comfort because our new President has promised us "change." Oh! The word of the year! Change! Change is coming! Change is upon us! He will bring change! Unfortunately, it is not up to him. And unfortunately, the world, and Americans, have decided that we can leave it up to him. HE will bring change, and HE will make everything okay. I find it difficult to place such high expectations on one person, while the rest of the world sits back and does nothing. Apathy. It is a terrible thing. Perhaps if EACH of us would take a moment to re-evaluate ourselves and our world, we could all start to initiate some change. Together, we can move in a positive direction. You just have to decide to actually do something. So, stop reading my blog. Go buy a stranger a coffee and see the smile on their face. Money tight these days? Why not spare 99 cents and treat a homeless fellow to a hamburger from McDonalds. I think you can spare that. Don´t want to get involved in what you see? Perhaps if you had called the cops, you could have saved that man. Or stopped a burglary in process. Or who knows what. Next time, pick up the phone. You would do it for your parents, you would do it for your friend, so why not do it for a stranger? We are all in this together, or at least that is how I see it.

Okay, lucky for you, I am done complaining, evaluating the world, and lecturing. I will leave you with the following to contemplate:

"Changes come from the power of many, but only when the many come to form that of which is invincible - the power of one." (The Power of One, 1992).

1 comment:

Lisa said...

Ashley...I completely agree. Well felt, and well said. I wish we would have spent more time together when we lived in the same city!! Suerte con todo...