WHERE IS NOAH WHEN YOU NEED HIM?

So there is this man in Thailand….just kidding. I couldn’t resist.

I’ve always looked at natural disasters as the true reminder that we are not in charge. And not only are we not in charge, but we are OH so much smaller than we realize, and for humans, this is a sobering realization. The latest disaster to strike a region, if you’re living on Mars and do not have a television or the internet (notice how I didn’t say newspaper), is the utter devastation in Pakistan due to torrential rains and flooding. To be honest, I can barely watch the news at the moment – as you can imagine I’m extra sensitive – cause I find it so heartbreaking to see the thousands of people (and little defenseless babies!) without shelter, warmth, food, you name it. The looks of desperation on their faces as they tell the reporters that they essentially have nothing left, their President has abandoned them for a five star hotel in London, and their future looks bleak and hopeless.

Dear god I’m depressed now. 

The cynic in me then of course asks, what qualifies in terms of a natural disaster to warrant the world’s attention. And moreover, not just the world, but that (hysterical) microcosm of periodical do-gooders that we call celebrities. Cause I’m somehow feeling that Pakistan is not getting a telethon with Beyonce whipping out a new version of ‘Halo.’ I can't help but wonder how it all comes together. Is it the region that inspires one celebrity to issue the 'we must help' outcry? Poor Pakistan’s proximity to the sh*tstorm that is Afghanistan may hinder its aid prospects when it comes to the general public (I can hear it now from the uneducated masses, “aren’t they Arabs over in those parts? I say screw ‘em, they can deal with a bit of water”). Then again, perhaps it is the celebrity themselves– and the power they hold - that deem a cause worthy. For example, if George Clooney starts crying publicly over a locust epidemic in Cameroon, I'm thinking that would be enough to rally the troops (I’m feeling an interesting experiment here). At least Brad Pitt and Matt Damon would be on board.

Or perhaps it’s the type of natural disaster and death toll accrued that qualifies how quickly the world reacts. Macabre I realize, but I fear that’s the world we live in. Tsunami – hundreds of thousands dead, telethon and variety show put into the works pronto! Pakistan – under two thousand dead due to floods, hmmm, perhaps they'll get aid, but Rhianna is not dusting off her stilettos and lycra for casualties of that amount. Then again, I could be pleasantly proven wrong.

Sorry, fatigue makes me run even darker.