The Real World

The Real World. No, I'm not talking about the TV show like a lot of you probably thought when you saw this title. I'm talking about the actual real world of reality. Living in America, it's like we have no clue of what's going on in the outside world. The fighting in Libya, the earthquakes in Japan, and let's not forget the royal wedding in England. Well we all probably know about the last one. That's had about as much media coverage as the U.S. presidential election. All we know about is Jake Gyllenhal's new haircut and the tornado that hit the St. Louis airport. We are literally suffocated in a bubble. We're ignorant to the world around us. 

This subject bugs me a lot actually. A lot of people say they've experienced the world yet they've never even had a stamp in their passport. They say that they're concerned about world hunger, yet don't even donate a penny to the cause. We seem to give no credit to other cultures or their problems. In fact if you haven't been to Pakistan or Libya, you'll probably judge them poorly just because of the news coverage you've seen about them. But have you ever thought what other countries thought of us? What do they read in their newspapers every morning? Probably about the heightening price of taxes, our nomination of an African American president, and Reese Witherspoon's recent marriage. Even though we are one of the richest nations, with a ton of diversity, and a wealth of opportunities, are we in the real world? We're not the ones suffering for food and water like some poverty stricken countries around the world. We're not the ones who are afraid to step out in the street, because they're afraid of getting shot from the war violence. Not to mention, a war they have nothing to do with.

Even though I say all this, I have ironically never ventured past the North American continent. It's not that I don't want to, I just haven't had the opportunity to. I dream of the day that I can go abroad and see the world for what it really is. Different people living in different ways in different places. However I think I'm most interested in just experiencing things in someone else's life. Seeing the daily struggles of someone and all they go through to survive. I'm not talking about a five star resort vacation where shopping and tanning are the priorities on my list. I'm talking the real, up front way of living. I know it sounds somewhat depressing, but it's one of those things that will make you appreciate what you really have. And hopefully make you a better person. Ultimately it's a tough world out there. I hope one day I'll get the chance to at least try to understand it. And maybe, just maybe, find a way to help.