First World Problems

Does it take someone like John Green, a person known for blunt honesty- particularly to his own misgivings and the writer of a book that went so viral that an awesome movie was made and suddenly everyone knew his name but only for that movie and book otherwise it like they ignore him, for us to stop and listen to the things that we should stop and listen to?

If you made it through that sentence and understood what I was trying to say, you might find it particularly odd that we first-worlders have enough problems to actually make this blog post exist.
We do, but it may not be what you think it is.
First-World problems, particularly among Americans (USA ones) go like this.

1. Ebola, African Epidemic that is almost incurable and unstoppable save that usually when it runs its course- it will have the dignity to disappear for a time and not bother us anymore. OMG!!!! shut down all flights into the US! close our borders, criticize anyone suggesting we do anything to help those already afflicted. If someone sneezes in the room, quarantine them and complain to anyone within earshot or twitter feed that the Gov't is not even trying to protect us, also remember to blame Ebola on Obama.
2. Climate Change: The world is heating up, ice is melting, carbon monoxide is not being filtered back into oxygen, we are still mining fossil fuels and running electricity as long and as fast as we can manage it.  Nah not really happening, I am not going to feel guilty that I am burning fossil fuels that continue to damage the environment and cause sea levels to rise and poison the atmosphere. I mean, srsly, I need that personal streetlight over my garage all night long, stores really should remain open 24/7. We need more plastic and by plastic I mean new pure plastic.
3. Solar  (and Wind) Power. One of the smartest inventions that uses forces that we have literally endless supplies of. Too expensive to install. Won't let me keep the lights on brighter or longer or run multiple appliances and utilities and electronics at full speed.
4. World Hunger. There are so many places in the world where there is not enough food with nutritional value to help sustain any real quality of life. Give them  Twinkies, I am sooo sick of hearing about starving children in Africa, and don't even get me started on those idiots in Appalachia on Food Stamps, let them eat the cheap generic crap that grocery stores sell as food that I won't eat.
5. Water, and by water I mean clean drinkable water. Water you can safely wash things in, water that you can safely bathe in, never mind drink or water crops with or for that matter get things to grow. It still rains, let them drink that, just bleach it or run it through a septic plant that will sort it out. I mean I need to go buy bottled water because I hate that metallic taste in the public water works. Why should I care about those people.
6. War: It often goes on in spite of everything else. Well, it's not happening here- why should I care as long as American Soldiers are not involved?

I am stopping not so much as there isn't more I could list as I am tired of channeling all the facebook posts and comments and tweets made by First World Complainers who don't understand the ripple effect.

 If I hear someone say: I am just one person, I can't change the world- one more time , 

I will most likely do a lot of screaming.

We can change a little bit of all of those things I listed.

Our worst enemy is not Ebola or Climate Change or Guns or Violence or Abuse or ISIL or 

Obama.

It's denial.

Stop denying that the change starts with you walking instead of driving, 

finding a cause that will actually do what it says it will do,

not threaten a football team on a TV in a bar because they are currently beating your team,

waste water or worse poison it because you are in too much of a hurry to bother disposing something toxic.

This list goes on.

Change the world.

Recycle

Reform

Restrict

Use less, conserve more

but remember to share your wealth with others

without qualifications and restrictions

I am with John Green and all the other who believe that it is our responsibility to change as much of this rock we live on as we can in our lifetimes even if it is just writing a book that makes the next person stop being an irresponsible jerk

and start doing something nicer for the next person that they

meet, even if that person spits in their face.

"If we raise $100,000 for water.org in Ethiopia, Bill Gates will personally match it and we'll be able to get clean water through sustainable wells to 8,000 people in Ethiopia!" -John Green

http://water.org/johngreen

that's one.