"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." -Albert Einstein
I still remember the first time I learned how to ride a bike without training wheels. Everyone knew how to do it and I wanted to do it too. I remember being deathly afraid of it and I just knew I was going to fall flat on my face or scrape my knee. My dad was holding onto the bike for me though and I knew no matter what that I wouldn't fall. And if I did, he definitely wouldn't let me bleed to death. So I did it. I lifted my feet off the ground, held onto the handlebars as tight as I could, and peddled. I peddled so hard I didn't even notice when my dad let go, but I noticed when he was there to help me stop.
Those were the simple times, when the biggest problems were how to learn to ride a bike, or to tie our shoelaces, or running out of band aids.
I remember a period of time later when I was watching TV with my parents and they were speaking to my grandparents on the phone overseas asking if everyone was okay. The news showed explosions, people dying, and pretty much chaos. So much chaos I didn't understand what was happening. Then my parents explained to me of the trouble that started in Palestine again, known as the Intifada. This was in 2001.
Now it's 2012 and Palestine isn't the only place on the news. The other day, every report the news correspondent had to say what "In ____, __# of people were killed..." So this is what humans have turned into? A number on a screen? A number passed around at dinner? A number told in a 30 second commercial?
While some people are waiting for the next episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians or The Real Housewives of God know what other place, others are waiting impatiently to find news about their families overseas. They're worried about their parents, their sisters, their cousins. Mothers are running after their sons, sisters calling each other frantically, children crying for their parents...Do we know what that's really like?
It breaks my heart when I see countries with money and riches and all this POWER but don't do anything. It makes me mad and it makes me wonder why I can't do anything. Why WE can't do anything? That's because we've left it in the hands of our rulers who are supposed to be doing the best for the sake of their people. But they aren't. And that's the worst part about it. So we're left to pray. All we can do is pray because we have no voice. We need to have a voice.
This blog, this post, this is my voice. I'm writing this because I need to tell others about my frustration, maybe you're sharing the same frustration as I am. When we watch the news and see bodies scattered like they're nothing, like this is something we see everyday, doesn't it make you doubt your own power? It makes you doubt your own voice as you feel a sinking feeling of helplessness inside of you and you wrack your brain with ideas to help.
My mind tends to eventually wander to the same place. Where are the leaders of the Arab countries? Where is the United Nations? Where are all those fancy names with fancy tables and fancy coffee? What are they doing? Do they watch the news and want to do something? Or are they too busy hosting cocktail parties and trying to get rich- oh my bad, I mean richer. They're already rich.
We don't know. So we spend our time watching the news, praying for the victims, and wondering who can help and why aren't the people who have the power to help helping. Where are they and when they finally wake up and see what this world has become?
This world wasn't made evil. It was made by the Most Merciful God. The people who live in it have made it evil. That's the most disturbing truth about this whole situation.
Sorry, dreamers, but this is all I've been dreaming about lately. I hope your dreams are better. Maybe they include making a difference in this world. I guess that's why my dreams are wishful.
-Wishful Dreamer
I still remember the first time I learned how to ride a bike without training wheels. Everyone knew how to do it and I wanted to do it too. I remember being deathly afraid of it and I just knew I was going to fall flat on my face or scrape my knee. My dad was holding onto the bike for me though and I knew no matter what that I wouldn't fall. And if I did, he definitely wouldn't let me bleed to death. So I did it. I lifted my feet off the ground, held onto the handlebars as tight as I could, and peddled. I peddled so hard I didn't even notice when my dad let go, but I noticed when he was there to help me stop.
Those were the simple times, when the biggest problems were how to learn to ride a bike, or to tie our shoelaces, or running out of band aids.
I remember a period of time later when I was watching TV with my parents and they were speaking to my grandparents on the phone overseas asking if everyone was okay. The news showed explosions, people dying, and pretty much chaos. So much chaos I didn't understand what was happening. Then my parents explained to me of the trouble that started in Palestine again, known as the Intifada. This was in 2001.
Now it's 2012 and Palestine isn't the only place on the news. The other day, every report the news correspondent had to say what "In ____, __# of people were killed..." So this is what humans have turned into? A number on a screen? A number passed around at dinner? A number told in a 30 second commercial?
While some people are waiting for the next episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians or The Real Housewives of God know what other place, others are waiting impatiently to find news about their families overseas. They're worried about their parents, their sisters, their cousins. Mothers are running after their sons, sisters calling each other frantically, children crying for their parents...Do we know what that's really like?
It breaks my heart when I see countries with money and riches and all this POWER but don't do anything. It makes me mad and it makes me wonder why I can't do anything. Why WE can't do anything? That's because we've left it in the hands of our rulers who are supposed to be doing the best for the sake of their people. But they aren't. And that's the worst part about it. So we're left to pray. All we can do is pray because we have no voice. We need to have a voice.
This blog, this post, this is my voice. I'm writing this because I need to tell others about my frustration, maybe you're sharing the same frustration as I am. When we watch the news and see bodies scattered like they're nothing, like this is something we see everyday, doesn't it make you doubt your own power? It makes you doubt your own voice as you feel a sinking feeling of helplessness inside of you and you wrack your brain with ideas to help.
My mind tends to eventually wander to the same place. Where are the leaders of the Arab countries? Where is the United Nations? Where are all those fancy names with fancy tables and fancy coffee? What are they doing? Do they watch the news and want to do something? Or are they too busy hosting cocktail parties and trying to get rich- oh my bad, I mean richer. They're already rich.
We don't know. So we spend our time watching the news, praying for the victims, and wondering who can help and why aren't the people who have the power to help helping. Where are they and when they finally wake up and see what this world has become?
This world wasn't made evil. It was made by the Most Merciful God. The people who live in it have made it evil. That's the most disturbing truth about this whole situation.
Sorry, dreamers, but this is all I've been dreaming about lately. I hope your dreams are better. Maybe they include making a difference in this world. I guess that's why my dreams are wishful.
-Wishful Dreamer
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