Thursday, February 3, 2011

What Are These Pictures Worth?: A Rant About the Goings On In Egypt

I'm not going to pretend I know everything about what is going on in Egypt right now, because I do not. I am, however, slowly but surely making my best effort to educate myself on the matter, as I am very interested in the history that is being made on the other side of the world. Regardless, it is still a world that I live in, andI feel like I need to learn about the everything in it that I can, including the people.

Human beings populate this planet. Over six billion of them. It doesn't seem to matter how many times I tell myself that, but it always seems to surprise me. Six billion. Such a huge, vast, overwhelming number. If you know me or know a bit about me, you will know that I love people with all my heart. Although they never cease to confuse and frustrate me, I love them, as a whole, not necessarily individuals. I am constantly being amazed by people in a variety of ways; positive and negative.

At this time in Egypt, we are all given this great example of conflict between opposing sides and ideas. In my opinion, which is in no way professional in any way, I do not believe that there will ever be such a thing as world peace, and I don't think there was ever meant to be such a thing, as much as I hate to think it. The way I see it, we were all put on this earth to live our lives however the hell we feel like living them. We choose, we decide, we live. But we live together.

Seeing as there are six billion humans living all of their own lives together, there will always be conflict of some sort. I live in a house of five people and even that can bring tention in its own way. Don't you all remember school? Classrooms? (assuming you weren't home schooled, and if you were...then my apologies. Not for being home schooled but for being left out of this example.) How many of us have been witness to fights in the hallways or at the bus stops in high school because "so-and-so's ex was hanging out with so-and-so's bff's brother in law". Drama. I don't enjoy it unless it involves the teenagers of New York's Upper East Side and is shown to me via the CW on television. My roommates have recently classified me as someone who doesn't like conflict. Which is true, I do not like it one bit. But I solve it the best that I can. I don't like to avoid it, nor do I like to let people "argue it out" or what ever. If there is a problem on the horizon then I want to get involved in it and fix it to the best of my ability, and perhaps it will take some time. As much as I would like to insta-solve everything, I know that some things take time and steps to improve.

As for Egypt and everything that is happening with it's government and citizens and protestors and military and everything...wow. It is overwhelming, but understandable, though in no way does that justify all that is happening there. The saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" does not always apply. I have been picking up copies of the New York Times, complements of Dixie State College, and today's issue has a photo on it that leaves me speechless. As I turned to page A10 to continue my reading, I came across more images that just left me thinking. Does it count if the words are being said inside my head? Regardless, I didn't have anything to say.
What does one say to all the violence and fighting? Stop?

There is a comment in the article from a man that says it is going to take steps to resolve the problems in Egypt, that it will take time. I couldn't agree more. Fights begin and battles come to an end, but it does not happen over night. Well. Sometimes it does, but as far as I know, it hasn't happened enough throughout history that we can expect that sort of outcome in this case. I like to focus on the good things in life, which is usually things like music and friends and family, personally. It's hard for me to see good things in the world when such bad things happen all over the world so often. But I try. I love all six billion people on this planet, as hard as it is to try and wrap my head around that number. I love people with all my heart, and I hope that things can get better soon. But hope is all I have at this point. I think it might be just enough.



Song of the Day: "Generator ^ Second Floor" by Freelance Whales