some days I sit and wish I was a kid again...

27.  This is by far my most feared birthday.  It's creeping up on me at a pace I'm really not comfortable with.  Ten years ago I would have told you that at 27 I'd be living in a 3bedroom house with my successful, loving husband, a dog and a child on the way.  I would be known as a local hero for my work with juvenile defenders and with any left over free time I would be traveling the world.
Turns out my predictions were slightly off...
Reality is I'm living in what by all definitions could be classified as a slum...instead of helping troubled youth, I'm serving them steak...I have a cat who I can only hope will one day run away...the average age of my fellow classmate is 19.
Despite my situation seeming rather bleak, I'm quite happy with where I'm at.  For the first time in my life I feel as though I know what I want and I'm on the right track to get there...I just hope it happens before I'm 50.

We're Not Living the Good Life

Between dozing off on my morning subway ride, I was eavesdropping on the two middle aged women sitting across from me.  They were discussing the tragedy in Haiti and their utter disgust with the Haitians looting and rioting in the streets.
Direct quote: "I just can't imagine stealing and fighting in the streets..I mean, your country was shit to begin with and obviously can't take care of itself so why don't they sit back and let the aid workers do their thing?? They are just contributing to the madness!"
Yes, it would be easier if there weren't violence and aid would probably get distributed faster, but you're telling me if your house were destroyed, you had no water to drink and you were not receiving medical attention, you wouldn't be prone to violence??  It angers me when people refer to third world countries as though they choose to live this way.  Countries, such as Haiti, grew out of slavery and despite the label of now being a 'independent' country, they are still enslaved by the IMF, World Bank and other forms of neo-colonialism.  In order to keep the western world rich, we must keep the third world poor.
I began to dissect every item on these ladies in order to understand their contribution to the world.  The one on the right was wearing Nike shoes, which as we all know contributes to child labour and as soon as we exited the subway she pulled out her cell phone, which contains coltan and is currently fueling a civil war in the Congo.  The other lady was drinking soy milk, which we can assume is from Brazil where they are wiping out mass amounts of rainforest in order to make room for soy beans and was carrying a Walmart bag, which as we know bullies manufacturers into selling their goods for ridiculously low prices so they are barely able to cover their own costs, which also results in the closure of many western companies as they must pay their workers a fair wage and can not compete with business overseas. 
I'm not saying I am any better than these women, I am just saying our crimes against humanity far outweigh those of the Haitians stealing food to eat.

Way to Rub It In

It is so easy to flip through the morning paper, and despite reading articles beginning to end, never really absorbing the horrific news they are conveying. The devastation in Haiti is appalling, but for the majority it is impossible to relate to. It is not until you see a picture of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship docked only a few kilometers from one of the worst humanitarian disasters, that the disparity of our modern world becomes truly apparent. I understand the need for tourism dollars and in the future yes this could benefit the economy, but somehow parking your heavenly oasis just a few kilometers short from the stench of rotting bodies seems more than inappropriate.
"It was hard enough to sit and eat a picnic lunch at Labadee before the quake, knowing how many Haitians were starving," said one of the few passengers who chose to stay on board the ship. "I can't imagine having to choke down a burger there now.''

 

Dominican Republic is also busy encouraging people to continue traveling there, claiming that the tourism dollars spent in Dominican have benefited and will continue to benefit Haiti in the future. This however is quite far from the truth. Yes some Haitians do find work in the Dominican, but their situation is similar to the illegal Mexicans working in the United States. They have little to no rights and are basically the modern form of slave labour, getting paid a fraction of what their Dominican neighbours do.