Little Miss Fix It

This weekend Babe and I watched "Blood Diamond" after wanting to see it since before it premiered at the theaters. It's funny because although I wanted to see it at the theater, I'm so glad I viewed it at home where I could let a couple of tears drop and vent my irritation about the injustice the people of Sierra Leone endured. Although it was sickening to see the random killing, raping and torture of so many (all for diamonds), it always seems to pique my interest in DOING SOMETHING. The Kimberly Process is in place to help stop the flow of blood diamonds, thank God, but it was watching this movie that made me realize how I want to help everyone, improve everyone's way of life and really help everyone live as well, even better, than I do.

Lately I've been hell-bent on finding ways to save the earth from the detriment of global warming. Maybe I should just stop watching movies because it was An Inconvenient Truth that got me on the war path to do all I can do to keep our world as it is for my grandchildren to grow up and know Polar bears because they are still here, not because they are one of many extinct animals they'll read about in history books. So many reasons, like the threat of losing most of Florida and all of New York, keep me researching ways I can realistically do my part. But when I first watched the movie I felt overwhelmed by all of the information and all that I felt I should be doing NOW. I think that may be how many feel about becoming "green" in any way. There's a lot you can do, but how much is realistic? I had to read Glamour magazine's March issue to realize I don't (and can't) do it all, but I do owe it to myself and fellow man to do MY part. But again, it was all or nothing after watching the movie...too bad I can't be superwoman!

Now that Jay is a kindergartner at a fantastic school I think about children, especially minority children, who don't have the privileges my daughter has to learn far more than most kindies are expected (or 'allowed') to learn. I'm not naive enough to think we're safe in suburbia, especially after the tragedy of Columbine High School, but the chances of anything like that happening at Jay's school versus an inner city school are significantly less. Why can't all kids have wonderful teachers like Jay's Mrs. H? Teachers who cheer when students excel and hug you, the parent, when they see you because there is a genuine love. Why can't all kids, regardless of the school district they live in, have the opportunity to truly love learning and finding the subject they are best at? I don't know what to do but it hurts my heart deeply to know that so many kids are getting subpar education and too many go to school hungry. I'm just one person but so was Martin Luther King, Jr., right?

There are so many social issues I see in our world and wonder why I can't make a change? I want to feed kids breakfast so they can learn and absorb all they can during class. I want to get people to stop buying massive SUVs or at least pay the non-profit organization helping to offset the damage we're doing with our vehicles. And where diamonds are concerned, we need to realize the value every single person on this earth has. Blood diamonds are not worth the life or limbs of people who have already suffered enough. Especially in America, we're all about the mighty dollar so why WOULD we see and react to the dying in Darfur? How do they fatten our pockets?

If we all do just one thing, regularly, we can change our world for the better. We can't expect our government to care or to be able to do everything. What can YOU do?

Here are a few great websites mentioned in Glamour magazine, which I'm subscribing to TODAY for their focus on not only being beautiful, but helping others reach their potential too. Thank you for reading...

(For whatever reason, I can't link all of the sites. Go figure)

1) drivinggreen.com Pay the difference to offset the pollution your vehicle emits into our atmosphere.

2) popcouncil.org Supports emergency services for 10 year old child-brides dying in childbirth.

3) nothingbutnets.net Buy a family a mosquito net to lower the risk of malaria. It's $10!!

4) practicalaction.org Installs vents in homes using open fire to heat and cook.

5) ipas.org Dedicated to reducing unsafe abortions in third-world countries where women can't afford safer procedures.

6) iwhc.org Supports programs that provide HIV health services for ALL women.

7) idealbite.com Sign up for a daily "green" tip to help improve our world.

8) Change a bulb: Compact flourescent light bulbs (CFLs) use 65% less energy than regular ones. They also last 10x longer. Just switch ONE bulb and you'll help so much!