The Monotonous Life

If you didn’t know today is Blog Action Day, a day where a numerous amount of blogs get together and post about one cause. This year it is (or was, depending on when you read this) poverty.

I forgot about it.

Don’t hate me yet. I had a post to do for Ladies and I had some family stuff to get through. And I wasn’t near Twitter until tonight. And to be honest I thought about just not doing it. I mean, I didn’t have anything to write about. I didn’t have a savvy outcome to end poverty. I don’t have an extremely personal story relating to poverty. And I have a very (very) small blog and on the grand scheme of things no one would notice. So what point is it to do a post>? And then I realized that my forgetting is part of the problem with poverty. I think we as a country are willing to overlook poverty (and other causes) than other things. Seriously, when was the last time you thought about poverty? Now, when was the last time you thought about Pam and Jim on “The Office?”

Don’t be ashamed. I think about “Gossip Girl” more than I think about poverty so I’m in the same boat as you.

But like I said, this is the problem. We need to, as a community, as a country, sit down and put in some real time and effort in ending poverty. Especially here in the US. How come we are the richest country in the world (recent economic crisis notwithstanding) and yet have so many people that don’t have a home? That can’t get a nutritious meal? That can’t buy a winter coat for their children? And on the world scale why are there still children in Africa and Asia and Central and South America without clean water to drink? Without the ability to get an education? What would you do if you were in that situation?

Here’s what we need to do:

1. Get up off our asses and go out there and volunteer in our communities. Here in Charleston the big non-profits are the Trident United Way and Americorps VISTA, but there are others. And there are non-profits in your city/town. All you really need to do is Google it.

2. Donate money. Look, I want to buy the $200 pair of shoes as well. And you very well can. But let’s be honest here, the $5 you give to the homeless man on the street isn’t enough. Those same non-profits in your city will put your money to good use. Once again, Google organizations where your money will go to help out those who need it the most. Hell, you don’t even have to donate. Ripple and The Hunger Site (and once you get to the site there are plenty of other causes you can help) that only ask you to click on a button on their site and they donate money based on how many clicks they get. You’re bored at work anyway. Just keep clicking.

3. Thank your deity that you’re not in that same circumstances. For real. It doesn’t matter who you pray to or who you believe in. It doesn’t even matter if you believe in a higher power or not. Be grateful you’re in a position in your life where you have a bed to sleep in, clean water to drink, the money to buy $300 jeans, and the ability to be on a computer and read my bad attempt to lend my voice to end poverty.

We need to stop forgetting. Who’s with me?