Awareness

Over the past week I have struggled with some issues that have really been brought to light in recent international news. How aware of our world are we? I remember clear as day when Desert Storm started... when the Berlin wall came down, when Princess Diana was killed... yes I know these are a weird string of thoughts and not really connected. The link is international news... When I was in maybe 4th grade, it was very important that we learned about world issues and that connected to geography and having a basic knowledge of what was going on in the NEWS. As the years went by, my concern with international events changed depending on where I was in my life. A preteen not really concerned with the outer world.. just getting out of my house. As a teen wanting to go far and how to get far... physically away from my home life. As an adult living in the moment and being somewhat aware of events. As a pregnant mother not mentally stable enough to pay attention to more that my own daily life. And now living internationally and seeing hands on news events that I otherwise would not have been made aware of.
I skidded through government classes sort of understanding what things meant. Now I am seeing why governments are they way they are... why laws are set up the way they are... and I am seeing how much the government can really hide from people. Being in an age of a virtual society can be both a blessing and a curse. In the case of the current events that I am seeing unfold it has helped those who were cut off from the outside world to get help. But I can also see how some news may put undue fear in those who need not panic.
Case in point... with all the revolts and protests going on around the Middle East and North Africa.. it was only a matter of time before it came here. With that a planned protest around the country was sparked through the internet and fueled with jobless, homeless and bored youth. Seeing how other countries reacted to their governments and to mass amounts of people in one spot.. and seeing how fast simple peaceful intentions turned violent, the only thing I could do was to mentally prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
Now some of my family and friends are connected to the global virtual world and others are not. This is also the case of current events. Knowing that something was planned gave us the heads up we needed to just give a warning out. Now I cannot say I am sorry that I called my family and let them know what was going to happen.. but I can say I understand how it could have been seen as over reacting. Knowing how my mom panics when she hears anything remotely near where I live happening.. I could only assume that if she just heard the name of our country and unrest at the same time she would have freaked out. So calling her was the only thing I could do... and she may never had known anything was going on if I had not called.
This not only put extra stress on my family, it put mental stress on myself. They continued to call nonstop and seek information. Seek news that in no way was part of their daily life and may have only caused extra stress.
Thank God the protest here were mild, peaceful, and basically over as fast as they started. But I can only imagine what could have happened.. how bad it could have been, and at what point we would have had to decide to stay or leave.

I am saddened more and more each day with the unrest that is going on because it leads to thoughts of the future. The what ifs are swirling... and in my previous state of mind, I may have been just fine not worrying about the what ifs....

All this is to say.. how aware of issues in you city are you, your state, your country, your world??? We all have a voice and we all have at least some way to make a difference in our lives and in those of others. We need to take our talents and our strengths and make a difference somewhere. Now we may not end world hunger or bring peace to all the nations.. but we can at least have the intention of doing so and have more concern for the lives of others than our own daily stresses.