you’d have to be living under a rock to have not heard of swineflu. i had a high school sophomore comment. people seem to take two approaches to talking about it. joking and freaking out. some people make jokes about the hysteria that has surrounded swineflu. others freak out and remind everyone to stop traveling, to wash your hands, and to take vitamin c and zinc.
i’d like us all to pause for a second.
while i don’t doubt the seriousness of swine flu, i want us to use it for a second to help us better understand others.
the same hysteria that is being spread in the US is what the countries effected by malaria feel on a daily basis. mothers fear for their children’s lives. they have to sleep under nets (if they can afford them) every night. Americans are merely asked to postpone vacations and to wash their hands regularly.
i think this is a great opportunity for us to wake up a bit.
good thoughts.