What Would You Do If....

There have been several large events in the world as of late that have grabbed the world's attention. Even so, I doubt that many people really can understand the impact that these events have had on millions of people's lives. For most people in America, you cannot imagine what would become of your daily life if all of a sudden every time you walked out on the street there was a deadly protest going on. With the exception of California, can you even begin to think about the aftermath of a 9.0 earthquake? What about a nuclear explosion? Even with these large events at the top of every major media publication, there are so many other things that happen on a daily basis to a large number of people that I doubt many people would be prepared for. With that said I would like to question what you would do given a certain circumstance.

Circumstance #1
You are fisherman in a small village in Africa. To your name you have, a small hut, a small boat, a fish net, a sharp knife and your health. Now imagine that one day your net is torn by a neighbor's hungry goat. That net is your livelihood. Without the net you cannot fish and without fish you do not eat nor do you earn any money. What would you do???

Circumstance #2
You are a farmer in a small mountainous town in Eastern Europe. In your possession you have, a house, a donkey, two chickens, 1/2 acre of land, a shovel, a spade and a wheelbarrow. What would you do if one summer there is no rain?? The closest water source is a well a mile away. You do not have an advanced irrigation system to use. All you have are your tools and yourself. How will you ensure that your crop survives enabling you to eat for another year??

Circumstance #3
You are a scavenger in a small impoverished nation. The more you can collect means more food for you and your family. Currently your system of collecting means gathering as much as you can in your arms, transporting it to your house and then going out again. One day, another scavenger comes along and has a donkey cart. He starts collecting four times as much as you do in a day and you see your profits slowly dwindle. How will you change your system so that you can still provide for your family??

Circumstance #4
You are a teenager in America. One day the power goes out you cannot watch t.v., call your friends, or check your email. What would you do all day???

One reason why I wanted to join PC was to gain a new perspective in life. My life in Chicago was hectic and even though I thrived on that pace there was never time to just relax. So many Americans don't appreciate the little things in life. For example, a readily available public and national transportation system. When you need to go from city to city, you know what type of transportation you can take, when it is available and what the cost is. If something runs 10 minutes late, it's the end of the world! Try living in a country where you never know what type of transportation you will need to take to get to your destination, waiting around all day for it to leave because there is no set time table and paying a different price every time. This is life for numerous residents in third world countries.

The first goal of PC is to train men and women in interested countries. I believe that part of this training is awareness. Awareness is a two-way street. If so many people are looking at ways to change and improve their cultures then why can't America take a look at other cultures and see the possibilities?? So these are my questions to you. Take a minute and think about the above scenarios. Would you be ready to handle any one of those situations?? What would you do if one of them happened to you??