“Cries can be heard from those trapped in the rubble”. A quote from a BBC newsreader on the collapse of a bridge in Genua, Italy (10 O’Clock News 14/08/18). Sentences like this are read out by these presenters every night. That is their job.
Since globalisation, we are exposed to so much more death and tragedy. This sentence clutched at my chest and I had to pause, and take a second. I felt so guilty that I wasn’t there helping to recover people out of the rubble, that I couldn’t save these people desperately crying out for their lives. So close to home, but not close enough that I can help.
What are we supposed to do? One argument is that we cannot do anything, these things have always happened and it is only in recent years that we have been exposed to the frequency of these events. But personally, I can’t live with that. I am a very empathetic person and this can be my downfall at times like this, how am I supposed to live my life knowing that these people are in danger for their lives.
It’s not just this event. Within the UK we have such a large population of homeless people, and we are taught from a young age by parents and carers to just ignore them. True, some of them can be people trying to scam you out of money (this is the case with many apparent homeless people in Preston, Lancashire), but there are also people struggling to feed themselves. They lost their job through no fault of their own and are now fighting to survive.
These are just two small examples of issues that hit my heart and make me feel helpless. I have my own issues, my education, and my family is in no way wealthy, but that doesn’t stop me from wishing that there was something that was within my power to do. I just want to help people.
I don’t really think this has much of a point, other than to say that I believe we shouldn’t lose our compassion and if we keep an eye out, maybe we can help those who need it most. At least I hope that I can.
Abi of Pellinor 