sadness

Contrary to my previous post, it feels like a long time before I will write about something good. I'm in a state of sadness that hasn't weighed this much in a while.

We just saw the movie Stop-loss. If you've seen it you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, you should. You really should. They say a great movie should make you laugh and cry. I didn't expect this one to do either, but it did both -- and more of the latter. This shouldn't deter you from seeing the movie. In fact, it should make you want to see it more.

See, for me, it wasn't just about the sadness of what our boys are going through, fighting this war. Trying to get out, but getting stop-lossed by the military -- whether we started it or are 'trying' to end it. The mental torment they go through overseas and back at home when done. No. Not just our boys, but the lives of every other soul affected by this war. By this madness. All driven by greed when it comes down to it. Power and greed. The middle east to remain the way it is, hating America for pushing them forward and wanting to rule the world. America hating them for lashing out in inhumane ways to stop us.

And yet my sadness isn't just because of this war. No. The overwhelming sadness is for all those suffering in this materialistic world. That movie and this war is just a hard reminder. I know there is good out there. I do see it every day. I even try to be a part of it. But my heart literally aches right now (and a lot of the time) for all those suffering.

Just this morning I was about to do a post on ending world hunger. Did you know that 25,000 die EVERY damn day from starvation? While we're eating 3+ meals and having the highest obesity rate in the world, the equivalent of 1/2 of the UT student population dies every 24 hours because they have nothing to eat. No water to drink. And here we are spending literally $15 BILLION dollars on the bottled-water industry every year.

I don't know about you, but shit. I feel a little guilty. Very blessed, honored and privileged for the life I was given, but at the same time extremely undeserving and guilty. Isn't there something more we should be doing? Anything? It seems like much, much more should and could be done to help. I’ve been doing some research on world causes. I know we need to focus at home as well, but the lives outside our boarders need more help than most of us realize. There are orgs that help. The World Food Programme is one. There are others. Look them up.

Sorry for dampening your day. Just something to think about... probably more to come later.