Filed under: in the news
I have trouble recognizing a crisis when it doesn’t affect me directly. It’s a selfish but automatic way of thinking. I knew there was an earthquake in Haiti because my co-worker, one seat away from me, let out a low whistle and whispered the magnitude and location. I didn’t read any articles or watch any news related to the devastation. I think because I’m unfamiliar with the location and because of its distance from what I do know, to me, it almost didn’t happen.
That is a bad, bad way to think.
At the very least, I need to pull my head out of the sand, lean back on my haunches and think about what I do have, what I’ve always had, what I’ve never had to worry about or deal with and relish in the wave of overwhelming thankfulness that comes over me.
It’s really quite warm.
If you’ve been ignorant like me then all you need to know is the death toll. A number so huge, it’s what finally made me realize that this has been in my peripheral vision for a damn good reason. Over 100,000 people. Everyone you’ve ever met in your life and then some.
What if this was the city you lived in?
This link has a list of the contributing organizations in the realm of food, shelter, medicine, and basic needs: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/impact/
Money is the most valuable donation I’m sure, but there’s no reason not to do a little research on how you can help. Because if you are reading this, you have access to a computer and to the internet and the time to sit and browse a mediocre collection of writing from a rambling girl like me and that is way, way more than so many Haiti residents have right now. I’ve been thinking about donating and then thinking about the dire contents of my wallet and the bills that need to be paid — but that’s just it. I have dire contents. I have electricity to pay for. I have a cell phone to pay for. I have rent to pay for the solid roof over my head. So many of them don’t. So I’m going to figure out what I can do tonight to help.
-CJ
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