Haiti

I often forget that there are many people in much worse off situations than myself. The unimaginable disaster in Haiti, a place I never even knew existed, has confirmed and reminded me that my worries are little in comparison to what many people have or are facing in the world around me.

It's shocking when you see news footage of what is happening at this very moment in time in another country. People without homes, family members missing, thousands dead... It's a tough thing to grasp, to imagine. The thing with seeing these things on the television or seeing pictures in a newspaper is that you can turn it off or stop reading, you can close the paper or change the channel and you are back in your own little world... but the people living it can't do that. It seems obvious, but it's something I think we take for granted or some, even many, don't realise.

A hard thing is understanding this is all real. When I see these things on the news it takes me a while to fully realise this is not a Hollywood movie, that the wreckage isn't a man made set, that it's not all special effects and the people dead are only extras and the living are the main cast. Of course, I know it is all real, and this is no film, but i'm guilty of almost being de-sensitised to these images now.

This isn't to say I am not heartbroken or shocked... because I am, truly, but it raises questions (to me at least) about what I digest. I need to start opening my eyes more and taking in what is happening, and although I keep fairly up to date with world affairs and news, I have at times taken a back seat, turned it off and been guilty of ignorance.

It's been nice seeing the effort people have taken to give money to aid and charity to help, really nice. I lose faith often in humanity... all the pain we cause each other, the wars we have with the people we love, the wars with others outside our own circle, the ignorance of many... but from what I have seen, and I have seen a lot on this subject, it really feels like something is happening.

I have seen people raising awareness on Twitter, posting links to charitys and places where the money will be best spent and used, people actually caring... and it's times like this when I see that we can pull together and fight for a better cause, change things. In our current economic climate, where money is for many tight, where people have lost jobs and can barely afford to feed their children... it's nice to think they can also spare some money and help those who are in even less fortunate situations.

I don't know, it's just refreshing.

I'm not sure where I am going with this, but I really hope the money people are giving and the aid which is sent will be received and used correctly in Haiti... I hope it will save lives and help them build up what has been lost, and although the scar will be there for a long time I hope eventually it will heal.

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