I am not much of a writer...maybe not as good as Jennie or anything, haha...but I will do my best at articulating my thoughts and being able to successfully jot them down here in a way that makes sense to whoever chooses to read these...

Today I learned in class about the realities of the carrying capacity of the world to how many people it can hold. Its scary what is happening to our planet and shocking to hear the stats and results of research about countries all over the world which are doubling or tripling their number of people in as few as 30 years. Pictures of poverty are the first that come to my mind when we are talking about millions of people living in just one city...the guy sitting next to me had his textbook open and I saw a picture that brought me almost to tears. It was of a famine in the 1970s that devastated much of Africa, and in the picture a sister and brother lay almost naked on the sidewalk, looking more like skeletons than human beings. They looked vacently at the camera, no expression or emotion whatsoever...as if they have given up all hope that someone might help them. All they needed was food. They probably died. I (and all of us) have seen this same type of picture before, probably more than we even know. Often, my first reaction is to look away and I am ashamed of this. I feel like most of the time, I am scared to feel what that picture may make me feel - overwhelmed. Overwhelmed at the thousands, even millions of children just like those two are out there right now. RIGHT NOW! I lost track of what the prof was saying for a minute because I was outraged at how this has happened. How do we go on living our comfortable, cushy lives here and only once in a while take a minute to think of those who have gone days without eating, only to often shrug our shoulders - thinking its too big an issue for me to make an impact - and distract ourselves so we don't have to dwell on it any longer. What can I DO???
And the other day, I overheard a conversation between two people on the bus about how disgusting their cafeteria food is. As they went on and on about how they'd rather starve than eat that horrible pizza, I grew more and more agitated. I had to bite my tongue many times, fearing that something may just pop out that I might regret later. With their ipod's and cellphones in hand, and designer jeans on, they walked off the bus and I was left sitting there disgusted. Disgusted at our society and our richness. Yes, I am a poor university student, but compared to most of the world, I am rich. I should remember that....often...and not turn away when I feel uncomfortable. Maybe I should welcome it, embrace it, and in that time realize that I am experiencing just a tiny fraction of what that brother and sister in the picture must feel (or did feel) each and every day.