As promised a little over a year ago, here is my annual blog entry. Who know, maybe this year it will stick. Probably not, though, so feel free to insert your sigh of disappointment or relief here.
Some weeks are just more eye-opening than others. Whether by listening harder, paying closer attention to surroundings, praying for a sign, or just being more apt to randomly relate an assortment of coincidences, sometimes weeks are, for lack of a better phrase, “life changing.” This was one of those weeks. And, before anyone gets too terribly excited and/or worried that I might be packing my bags and heading to some remote village in Africa at this very moment, I can tell you that I am not. Even though that would be cool. For a while, at least. This week was more of a “life tweaking” or “refocusing.” I really can’t think of a way to explain it better than that. At least right now. And, as discussed over a year ago, I am trying to combat my perfectionism and not over-edit. What’s written gets left.
“Water is Essential to Life.” This phrase for the past two to three months has haunted my life. For those who haven’t heard me complaining (uh, I mean conversing in a very deep and meaningful way) about it, I am writing a paper about roughly one sixth of our world’s population not having access to clean drinking water and roughly one third of our world’s population not having adequate sanitation. This, to take a short side note (and NOT a footnote J), causes all sorts of problems such as disease, perpetual poverty, even greater gender disparity, and conflict.
But, honestly, even after “weeks” of research, I still didn’t get it. It wasn’t until I was on my second or third beyond-late night of furiously writing, trying to scramble to put enough words down on paper to qualify as a “rough draft” that something clicked.
There is a monetary amount that, if the global community put toward solving the water crisis, that “we” could feasibly half the percentage of people living without water and sanitation (this is part of the Millennium Development Goals meant to be accomplished by 2015…Google is a great place for further research of the issue). Putting aside whether strong-arming governments into footing the water-crisis bill is a good idea, I began to think of what I would be willing to give up if it would ensure clean water for someone I’d never meet halfway across the globe.
The first thing that came to mind was the pair of Christian Louboutin pumps that I have sickeningly coveted over the past couple of years. I would give up the chance to own those shoes in order for someone to be able to access clean water. I mean, it IS essential to life. And, I was proud of myself, for at least the next couple of days. But, honestly, when am I ever going to break down and buy the $700 pair of shoes? Probably never (which I here is a time period that really doesn’t necessitate footwear anyhow).
This morning I was on my way to drop Libby off at doggy day care (yes, I’m even a wee bit embarrassed about it as I’m typing this) when Everclear’s “What It’s Like” came on the radio. Libby’s (tee hee) day care is located in an areas densely populated with homeless people. Usually when I see anyone who I assume is homeless, I say a quick prayer that God will take care of them, and let them know that they are loved. I, of course, avoid eye contact like its one of the top ways to contract the plague. But, today, I made myself look. I made myself try to imagine what my life would look had I been born in a different place, or to different parents, etc. Which, coincidentally was not the first time this I thought about being born at the right place and the right time.
On what proved to be a horribly awkward date this weekend, I watched Gran Torino (I’m assuming that Mr. Nameless was also watching, but, in an attempt to avoid all eye contact and conversation, I was locked in, and can't be for sure). I know I’m late in seeing it, but had I seen it earlier, I’m not sure it would have had the same effect. The entire movie I just kept thinking how unfair it was that this good kid was being bullied into joining a gang, just because of where he was born and what family he was born to. This kid didn’t have a fighting chance (well, he wouldn’t have had one, if it weren’t for Mr. Eastwood, but unfortunately not everyone has a Dirty Harry to look out for them).
It still blows my mind a little (ok, a lot), how lucky I am: to be born in the United States, in a time where women have pretty much equal opportunities as men, to a family who loves me, in an area of town that happened to be on "the right side of the tracks." And, of course, the list goes on and on.
In summarizing my rant about how a phrase about water, designer pumps, a song, and a good movie helped put life a little more in perspective, I have come up with the following idea: I’m going to give something up that I actually can give up with the hopes that it will, even if in a very limited way, help provide someone who I will never meet with clean water.
Until April 30, I’m going to give up my afternoon Venti Americano with three Sweet and Low and light whip, and use those funds to give to a great organization called Charity Water that provides water to those around the globe through local projects (charitywater.org). I will not complain about my lack of Starbucks; instead, I hope I can appreciate giving something, albeit small, up on which I’m somewhat “dependent” in order to help another in need. It doesn’t help me get closer to feeling or understanding their desperation, but, maybe as I crave one of my favorite comforts, I can remember to pray: that they will be blessed, taken care of, and loved.
Anyone that knows me well knows how annoyed I get when people ask law students (or any students, really) to give money, especially because we’re mostly living on borrowed funds. However, I would urge you to start looking at the people around you. Maybe the homeless man walking around the water gardens just needs a smile or “hello.” But, if for some reason you are inspired to give up something for a little while (without messing up your budget, obviously) in order to help out someone else in need, then that is okay as well.
And, to all of my friends, who read this all the way through or just skipped to the end: I am incredibly blessed to have each one of you in my life, and appreciate each and every one of you.
