It’s 2:50, the bell has tolled, and all of the students at Shores are headed home where they will be safe, have plenty of food to eat, and be nearly carefree about how the rest of their day will go or whom they will encounter.

Many truly do not have a care, and to me, that is probably the most irritating thing in the world.

In many parts of the world, people don’t have this privilege. They encounter corrupt governments or rebel forces, crime, poverty, AIDS, a lack of medical tools and care, starvation, death, and much more. These are real world issues, but for us who live in a country of privilege and luxury, these are not a reality.

Since these scenarios are not a reality for us, we often tend to forget about these problems. Many of us are too wrapped up in our own lives to give a care about someone who is suffering halfway across the world. And this is something that irritates me beyond measure.

Still, there are ways to help, but many of us simply overlook these.

For instance, Shores has a group called Amnesty International, which I am personally involved in. It is a great cause that is helping to build a school in Cambodia. Also, there is an organization called KICK, which stands for Kids Involved in Caring for Kids, and it is a great way to help both local and international kids who are underprivileged.

When you think about it, we, including me, complain about many pointless things in our lives. We complain about school, technology, homework, being flexible, etc. I am definitely not an exception to this by any means, but I do often think of the people across the world who have things a lot worse than I do, yet remain hopeful and optimistic.

So the next time the herds of kids stampede through the doors of Shores, I can only hope that more and more take a step to refrain from heading straight home to their comfy couches and after-school snacks, and take a step back and get involved with an organization to give just a little bit.