Well you can tell it is the night before the 5th of November. Not because it is the 4th today, in fact you could have spent the last few months on the moon and arrived back today, taken one step outside and it would be obvious. It sounds and looks like World War Three has kicked off. I live in a village of about a 1000 people and the skies are lighting up for miles around.
Nearly every year I have always bought some fireworks to have a display for the kids, (ignoring the fact that most dads usually end up buying them just as much for themselves. Must be a testosterone thing). Apart from the 3 years we were in the US for, since we’ve had kids old enough to appreciate them, we’ve had fireworks at home. But not this year. For some reason I just can’t justify to myself the point of basically burning the money when there is so much suffering around the world. I’m especially thinking of those in Pakistan suffering as a result of the earthquake. I don’t feel comfortable going out and spending £50-£100 on fireworks when there are people over there with their lives in tatters. So this year, I’ll be donating some money to the Red Cross or similar, on top of what I have already donated so far.
I’ll be taking two of the kids to the village school to watch their display tonight (as the weather forecast for tomorrow isn’t looking too good). It has nothing to do with the safety of home displays versus an organized display. I would rather help support a local school and not ‘burn’ money that may help others.
I’m either getting old and responsible, or the kids are rubbing off on me. They were in one of their rooms talking about what they wanted from Santa (well two of them were, the other was playing along if you catch my drift). They decided they wanted one present each, and they would ask if Santa could give the presents they would normally ask for to kids around the world who would usually get nothing.
Thanks for remembering the helpless people who are shivering under the cold and brutal nights in the still-jolting valleys of Kashmir.
Great site and you are doing some great work.
I was so close to jumping on a plane and going over there to do something. I’m fed up just donating money as it just doesn’t seem enough.
(I’m not muslim, Pakistani, just a plain ordinary English guy who is fed up watching disaster after disaster and feeling so useless).
http://www.pakquake.com <– Go visit there and see for yourself what happens when people make a difference.