Preamble: I guess I got a little mad at the end there, but it's a good type of righteous anger .. right?
So, I saw the original photo of the "Afghan Girl" juxtaposed with a photo of her taken in 2002, 17 years after the original iconic image (link here). The original photo was taken at a Pakistani refugee camp, during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. In 2002, a team from National Geographic caught up with her in a remote region of Afghanistan. She had said that didn't know the photo of her taken back in 1985 had become such a well-known phenomenon (I personally don't know much about it but I presume it meant much more to those living during the Cold War-era). Importantly, when asked if there was anything she wanted, she said she just wanted her kids to have a chance at getting an education.
So, here's this woman who had experienced the death of her parents due to war and had been displaced to live in another country, and what she wants is for her children to have the chance to be educated.
Juxtapose this with my life ... one that was been marked with extreme comfort and provision, completely insulated from all the conflict that seems to afflict so many parts of the world, never have I truly worried about resources, about where my next meal would come from, about the possibility that my life, due to external forces, could be drastically altered in the next day.
No, I've had, and literally still have, everything provided for me, including education. So what is it that this is my 7th year in university? So what if I'm a little more busy now than I'm used to? Does that somehow give me the right to act like the total asshole I've been the past couple of days?
Fuck no.
And when the "dust settles" (obviously metaphorical because I don't live in a goddamn warzone where people actually suffer and die and see others suffer and die on a regular basis), I'll still be completely insulated from the world. I'll still have all my meals and a nice warm bed to retire to. So that raises the question... what the fuck do I have to worry about?
So, regarding me, that sorely negative me in the past few days, fuck that stupid insignificant prick and his bullshit sense of entitlement. You're too busy? Too busy getting educated and much-needed experience from other activities? That's like going grocery shopping and getting upset that you bought too much and can't fit everything in the car (yes, it's a reference). It's not a big fucking deal. Get over this minutia, see that the world is so much bigger, and move the fuck on.
