As many bloggers do, I've struggled with posting regularly. Partly because I'm never sure if what I have to say or share is important or relevant at all. Well, not today. Today is Blog Action Day 2010, an annual event that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day. Their aim is to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion around an important issue that impacts us all. Water is a health issue, a human rights issue, a global issue. It's so encouraging to see so many voices speaking out about the same issue.
The image above was created following a tutorial I found on VecTips, posted for the purpose of promoting the clean water issue for Blog Action Day.
I recently moved into an apartment in Brooklyn. When I went to check out the place for the first time, the lady showed me the bathroom. She said, "There's no bathroom sink. But you'll get used to it. It's kind of a Brooklyn thing." Since I had been through a very annoying week of looking at apartments and people beating me to the deal, I didn't care. It was an apartment.
After living in the apartment for a couple weeks and using the kitchen sink for all my needs, I quickly realized what a hassle it was to not have a bathroom sink. I had to brush my teeth next to dirty dishes, wash my face and put in contacts without a mirror, and share sink time with two other roommates between all of our personal hygiene and cooking time.
Now, I've gotten used to it, just as the lady promised. But I still find myself complaining every once in awhile. Today, I stop and think just how lucky I am to have that one sink. Not only do I have that sink, but I have clean water coming out of it. Well, questionably clean, but thank goodness for Brita filters. Nearly 1 in 8 people have NO ACCESS to clean water. 38,000 children die per week because of waterborne illness. African women walk over 40 billion hours each year carrying cisterns weighing up to 18 kilograms to gather water, which is usually still not safe to drink. And I'm in Brooklyn saying what a hassle my lack of a bathroom sink is? This is ridiculous.
What's sad is that the majority of people in the United States have this disconnect with the world outside of their own little sphere. We see the pictures of children with bottles filled with brown water, we read the facts, but we never do anything. That's why the water crisis isn't solved yet.
Perhaps Blog Action Day is a start. At least people are talking about it.
Read more about the water crisis and what you can do to help at Water.org.
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