Wake-up Call

The other day, I was flipping through the newspaper and came across an AP photo of a man wearing bandages with his forehead resting in his head.

The caption read: Lai Mohammad, 40, whose nose and ears were cut off by the Taliban on the Afghan presidential and provincial council day, is seen in a hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Monday. Taliban cut off his nose and ears after finding a voting card with him on his way to a polling station.

Whoa.

Obviously, there's sad news every day, but this one really took my breath away. I feel so sad for him, for his family, and for others like him who are abused and live in fear. I also feel a renewed sense of appreciation for my freedoms, my life, my safety. It is easy to get caught up in my own little world, my own little problems. We are so connected to the world, and yet still so far away.