Weather, are you ignorant?

"Have you picked up a newspaper recently?"

Posing this question to those around me, I was taken aback by the answer. It was hard for me to find a person in my close circle that actually read the news. Most only knew the headlines of what was happening around the world, and some didn't even know that. Stories of tragedy and strife apparently did not strike a chord in the hearts of my colleagues. And yet, deep down, I was not surprised. When your daily routine is so demanding, I cannot blame those who simply choose to dissociate from the troubles of the world. But, neither can I encourage it, much less allow myself to go down that road of oblivion.

Picking up the paper these past few weeks it seems like the world is being hit by one tragedy after another. First, the horrific earthquake shattering Haiti. Almost overnight, Port-au-Prince became a common name in news columns with reports of death tolls, stories of the hungry and homeless and the international call for aid. As the world was still reeling with the aftermath of rebuilding Haiti, last week Chile became the next country hit by a shattering earthquake. 8.8 on the Richter scale made Concepcion the next infamous city on the news. And these are only the major headlines.

Why am I writing a weather update?

Each time a tragedy strikes, especially when it strikes less developed countries, many parties promise aid and help. Millions are collected through numerous charities and yet it seems like there is a huge gap between the hand that gives and the hand that receives. Hundreds of thousands die not from the actual tragedy but from lack of food and water supply in the devastating times that follow the event. The whole situation is made even worse with stories of looting and thieving heartlessly, adding salt to an open wound. The end result is just millions of people suffering.

Even as I am shaking my head in disgust I cannot help but wonder how it would be should a similar catastrophe hit our country.

This is why I am writing.

In these uncertain times it would not do for those of us who are unaffected to merely shake our heads. We should lift our hands in prayers but more than that we should sit up and take note. Just because we were spared this time, does not mean we will forever be spared from tragedies. When they hit, what would we do? What would you do?

Will you be one of those who will risk your life to save a complete stranger?
Or will you be one of those who lie in waiting to loot a rich man's house?

It is in the times of hardship that our true color is shown. Ask yourself, what will yours be?


p/s- Ignorance is sometimes just the escape for those who are in denial of their own stupidity. Just because you refuse to see what is happening around you, doesn't mean it is not happening.