The Bigger Picture

Tonight I would like to bring a foreign country into our minds, that country being Cambodia.  There are a little over 13 million people in Cambodia.  They won their independence in 1953, but didn't write their constitution until 1993, most likely because of the Vietnam war and the events around those events. Much like the US Cambodia has a executive, legislative, and judicial.  However their president(called the King) has been in office since 2004, and the prime minster first got into office in 1985.  (state.gov).

However the country of Cambodia is a third-world country.  As defined by dictionary.com

"The underdeveloped nations of the world, especially those with widespread poverty".  Meaning that most of the people in this country live on less about 10 dollars a day.  Much of the country is widespread farming communities that plant enough food to support themselves and their families. 

 

Cambodia has several different cultures and religions.  state.com says that other then the 90% of the people born in Cambodia the rest are, "Vietnamese 5%; Chinese 1%; others 4%: small numbers of hill tribes, Cham, and Lao."  These people are don't speak the language and will be unable to find jobs because of this problem.  Making the poverty in Cambodia worse.  Along with the diversity of cultures comes religions.  cambodian.info states that the majority is Buddhist with 94%, 3% Islam, 1% Christian and 1% other.

Now I'm not going to ask you to go to Cambodia and change the whole country.  I'm just asking that we look beyond our own little world in Wisconsin.  There are other people out there outside of the US.  Again I'm not asking you to go spend the rest of your life in Cambodia, but if you do anything after reading this, think about the bigger picture.

Life

Remember the good old days back in middle school (maybe even high school), when you had all the time in the world to do what ever you want over the weekend?  I remember the days of playing football in the street with my buddies on Sunday afternoons.  Getting geared up for a Saturday morning soccer game, making sure my shoe lases are double knotted!  However, now my weekends are much different.

Today, I spent the majority of the day writing an outline for a speech that is due tomorrow that, in all honesty, I probably didn't do right so I wont get a very good grade on it.  What was left of my time I used to get a little bit of my English paper done.  Now hold on just a second, I didn't finish all of the weekend yet. My Saturday was simple, work.  I worked all day on Saturday at the local Culver's, and when I say all day I mean all day.  I started work at 12:00 in the afternoon; I didn't leave work until around 11:30 that night.

I don't have time for anything! Between working, school, and soccer, my life is booked.  I have hardly anytime to sit down and do the things that I enjoy.  Like watching football on Sunday, or go out with my girl friend on Saturday.  But sadly these things are pushed aside for what is now "more important" matters such as school and work. Work, school; is this all that there is in life?!

The short end of the story is; I'm no longer in middle school. I'm in my second year of college.  It's time to grow up, make some sacrifices, do what needs to be done to get successful in life.  But is that whats really important?  Is that what life is about, getting an education so I can get that top notch job?  Or is it about  settling down, raising family?  What is life about?

One Step At a Time

Today I want to talk about something that's really been weighing on my heart lately:  Suicide. I'm not really sure how I'm going to go about this but I really feel like I should.  This past Friday my neighbor committed suicide.  His whole family was home; a wife two sons and a daughter that is the same age as my little brother, she is a sophomore in high school this year. 

Now I'll be honest and say I never really knew the man that well.  But it seems to me like he had a lot to live for. He had a loving wife, two strong sons that are no older then my eleven year old sister. And a daughter that is at a hard point in her life as it is.  Questions race through my mind as why he did it.  Who's going to teach these two young boys how to be men?  Who will show them how to play football?  Ride a bike?  Who will help this girl with her math when she comes home from school? Who will comfort her when she gets her heart broken?  All of these questions with no answer.  My heart breaks for this family that no longer has a father.

Last year my uncle died.  His death is unknown for sure but we believe that it was suicide.  Suicide is a huge deal across the United States and the world.  According to AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention) over 36,000 people every in the United States alone die by suicide.  Suicide is the third leading cause of death among those 15-24 years old. (AFSP) 36,000 people!! That number is huge! And the third leading cause of death among people my age.  These people are mothers, fathers, brothers, loved ones.  All of them took their own life because they said that this life wasn't worth it any more.

Well let me tell you something that will blow your mind away: It is worth it.  Yeah life sucks; everyday stuff happens to make your life miserable, trust me I know.  Life is worth living, there are people out there that love you.  Yeah so you just lost your job, or you just got a pay cut and you are having trouble paying the bills.  But is that reason enough to kill yourself? NO!  It means you have to kick it in gear, get the old train moving.  Find a new job or work harder at the job you have now to prove to your boss that you deserve that raise.  C.S Lewis once said "What saves a man is to take a step.  And another one."  To me this quote simply states: don't give up.  All you have to do is take it one step at a time.