Yellow Tape and History

It's amazing what nature can do. I'm also fasicnated with how we humans deal with what was bound to happen.
I'll admit I haven't been the most attentive to Katrina and her after effects. I've heard about them from large print bold headlines, NPR, and what my parents have discussed. I'm shocked with how the government has responded (or how they didn't respond) but I'm also amazed with how little was done in preparation. I understand, the funding wasn't there etc, etc, but that doesn't make me any less shocked.
In all honesty though, I don't care. I have basically two days until I start my junior year of high school. I know it sounds callous and selfish, but the poor (as in no money) people in a city in the deep south that I've never been to don't trump that. I've never really cared about the greater world issues that so many other people care about. Iraqi, the tsunami, all that -- I could care less. I'm not ignorant to what's happening, I just don't care. I have so much else happening, so much to think about, so much conflict both internal and external to deal with that caring deeply about politics just doesn't fit. I can't be that selfless. And for that I am sorry. I wish I gave a damn about what is happening down in New Orleans, but I don't.
This morning about the same time I was suppose to be leaving for a haircut sirens came screeching down my street. An ambulance, fire truck, emergency vehicles and a police car I think. I've been so nervous about school I didn't notice every last car. According to one of the policemen the youngest son of our next door neighbor got crushed under the garage door. He left the scene unconscious. The father had been working on the door and his two sons were running around. Who was to know that the door would come down just as the youngest was underneath it? I know my mother will be praying for him tonight. I'm not the kind of person who prays, but I hope that the little boy comes out alright.
Funny how things happen. History is happening, people close by are having their houses taped off with yellow tape and what am I thinking about? September 6th. Not Katrina, not the boy next door, not whats going to happen to our government, no I'm nervous about something that is so seemingly superfluous. But isn't history filled with things like that? Great literature certainly is. Doesn't make me feel better, but at least I know I'm not the only person in the world who hasn't cared.