Sunday, Oct. 8 marked the first anniversary of the earthquake in Pakistan, which left 73,000 dead and 3.5 million homeless, according to a Pakistani English newspaper, DAWN. I spent the weekend watching the Pakistani cable channels talk about the aftermath. I literally could not eat or function as I normally would after seeing the conditions people are living in to this day.
The newscasts showed many stories of the people. A little girl, no older then the age of 10, goes to the place where her home once stood to search for her cousin who was buried alive. A young, mute, women lost her parents and fianc? days before her wedding. A couple searches for their grown daughter. These are just a few stories.
As I was watching the coverage, I realized that we forget about the tragedies of Katrina, Indonesia and Pakistan after they happen until the anniversary or until we hear someone’s story. We, as people, have forgotten to care about people. We live in our own little bubbles and say why should we care what is happening in Pakistan when we should be lending a hand and learning a lesson. If you help someone, most likely someone will help you in your time of need.
We take our lives for granted so easily. My biggest worries are my classes, work and family matters. But I realized that some people in the world have to care about how they will get through the winter snow with a sheet over their head and what they will feed their children for their next meal.
You and I are fortunate to have shelter, people we care about, a decent education and possibly a bright future.
We need to keep up with current events both local and national. But keeping up with them is not enough. We need to make an effort to make change for the better wether it is through fundraisers, community service, or other means.
Yes, I know we are college students and ill-paid staff members but we have more than some people. Although it is becoming more and more transparent, there is such a thing called humanity.
We are all human first and then anything else, so treat people well and think twice about your luxuries.
