Right now there are more than 10 million people affected by the drought in the Horn of Africa. Millions of people- old and young- are without food, shelter and hope. Babies are being left to die. Mothers are deciding which of their kids are strong enough to survive and keep. Livestock that used to be a source of income are now being sold at rock bottom prices because they're going to die anyway. Graveyards are sprouting left and right. One writer likened the sight of a refugee camp to a vision of hell.
And here I am, fretting about my inability to express myself. Obsessing about moving on from heartbreak that was admittedly a result of my own stupidity. Spending too much effort on stopping myself from constantly logging on to Facebook. Worrying about my arms and my waistline and contemplating about going on a diet to prepare for another wedding this December. Debating whether to get new bedsheets and pillowcases. Or perhaps a new dress. Just going on with my petty ways and my petty issues.
Those kids in East Africa have probably never even heard of blogs or Facebook. They will probably never even get the chance to be stupid and get their hearts broken. They're too hungry and sick and their arms and waistlines are already reduced to practically nothing. They would already be considered extremely lucky if they even get to have fresh sheets and pillowcases. Let alone new clothes. They're caught in life and death issues. Literally waiting on the world to change.
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It all puts things on a different perspective, a different light- dimmer or brighter- depending on how you look at it. Then again, I'm sure I'll eventually go back to ranting about my own problems, puny as they are compared to a drought. I can't help it. We all can't help being absorbed in our own worlds from time to time. But that doesn't mean we can't help change the worlds of those people suffering on the other side of the planet. We can all do our part. It's a cliche, but every little thing we can do will help.
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