We are all living edgy, uncertain, terrorized lives. Only 10 years before the world was relatively much more peaceful. Today there are accidents and natural disasters and bomb threats everywhere. Countries engaged in economics wars, attacking other countries for resources and markets. The west lives in terror of the Muslims who are ‘apparently’ terrorists. While the Muslim world lives in terror of being the next target to be accused of terrorism and fear an illegitimate joint attack by the West.

No matter where we are living - be it a Muslim country or otherwise - everybody is living in terror. No body ever knows what is going to happen next. The news is flooded with loss of lives all over the world. Civil wars, war against terrorism, attacks on other countries, illegitimate invasion of other territories are all around us. Where the selfish and heartless humans do not have a hand in destroying a place, nature plays its role – the earthquakes, floods, draughts, Tsunami. Watching or reading news engulfs me in a sense of bleakness.

All these events – floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, civil wars, these ‘so-called’ wars against terrorism – have changed behaviors and social setups to a considerable extent. The uncertainty has led people to become selfish and uncaring of anything else. Many subconsciously have realized the perils and they try to live life for the moment. Terrorized by a thought that there may not be any tomorrow, people are in a hurry to live there lives in the moment. They no longer care about the fact that there actions may be detrimental to the society and even harmful for themselves. People no longer think before they act.

These events have changed the lives of many people directly and indirectly. I know longer feel as happy as I felt before and all this because somewhere in my sub conscience I know people are clinging to dear life. I am not doing anything for them. I ponder if I am entitled to be happy or celebrate, when people are dying, suffering terribly? I cannot bring myself to a state of uncaring attitude. We can’t even imagine the pain that they experience. Should I dream, knowing that there are millions out there whose dreams have been snatched, destroyed? Why am I not doing anything for them? The truth is I feel it easy to say and write, but when it comes to taking practical steps, most of us back out. We do not take out time to touch other people’s lives! Even if we could make just one person’s life better, I believe we could live in peace.

The feeling of making, improving someone’s life alone will reduce the insecurities and anxieties that have become part of our daily lives. They say ‘drops accumulated make a river’. We could make the world a better place by owning up to our share of responsibility to society. And then may be we could take real pride in ourselves, and celebrate life.