The World Is a Small Place

It's reassuring to hear that the UK is leading the way with donations to Pakistan in this time of incredible need. Reading that news in the Metro was well timed for me yesterday, it offered reassurance - perhaps those traditional Western feelings of 'we've got our own problems to think about' are beginning to subside. Three days before I was having to bite my tongue so hard I could virtually taste blood - I was providing half of a conversation with a small mind who discreetly objected to our charity ride. After explaining the merits of MAG the person in question commented about how the UK needs help more than anyone else in the world, about how our NHS is a sham and how "The UK is not a rich country, we should be asking for other people's help".

The irony of our situation was wasted on her. We were on a well serviced road, on a year old bus, on route taking us past one of the finest NHS hospitals in the country. The hospital my own Mother received exceptional and highly successful cancer treatment at just 6 months prior. My conversation partner continued about our lack of benefits, poor government and something else before her voice started to fade and the whole thing got filed into the 'disregard' folder in my brain.

Charities that work with people in the UK are vital and do tremendous work, of that there is no question. Consider this though - the world is unnaturally divided, divided by imaginary boarder lines or geographical features that are easily traversed. In the time it would take me to walk to my sister's house in Scarborough I could have flown around the world three or more times. The rest of the world is closer than it has ever been, yet these small minds still insist on relaying their well meaning solely on the top 1% of the worlds financial demographic.

There are terrible things happening in the world. I'm not for one second suggesting you dwell on them, I'm just suggesting you consider them now and again. They're not somewhere else, they're happening here, a matter of hours away from the where you sit reading this right now. I admire all charitable work but I certainly think charities that have to work to break down these imaginary dividing walls deserve a nod of appreciation.