"What, about myself, or the world in general?"

"'So, Amelia, what do you hate?' he says, leaning back in his side of the booth."

If somebody asked you the question of what you hated, what would you say? Would you lie and replace your small self-loathing hate with a much bolder and charitable hate. For example, switch "I hate the way I look," with "I hate poverty, world hunger, and war. As well as people who abuse their children, friends, spouses, or animals. And we can't forget about the children who can't read or write because they can't go to school, I just HATE that they are less fortunate than I, considering I LOVE going to school and want them to have the same experience!"

Nope. Stop lying to yourself. Nobody loves school. Haha. Calm down, to the school-lovers out there, it's ok. I like school to. I'm just saying that most people I know would rather be sleeping. But think about it, do you really genuinely hate poverty, world hunger, and war? Or are you too preoccupied worrying about your hair, clothes, and the people you hang out with? I don't think anybody can say immediately that they hate poverty or something like this unless they are in the situation themselves or know somebody in this situation. Most people hate directly what they have to deal with.

Which is totally okay because not all of us think we have time to put on an imaginary cape and save the world or be a selfless person as an example to the public. No, the lifestyles that some of us live in put up blinders and have us focus only on what we want and what comes first for us, which makes us oblivious to any other problems in the world. I just wish there was a nicer way to say that, because now I am convinced a few of you will HATE me or stop reading my blogs. But in reality, I am criticizing myself too. Sure, I have been to Guatemala on a mission trip and seen poverty, and now I donate to them as much as I can, but my lifestyle gets in the way. There is no way for me to be totally devoted to hating poverty, no matter how much I dislike it. That's not to say that you can't hate it, but I'm pretty sure there would be something that comes before that on the list of things you hate.

What I think is great is that Amelia answers back like this, "What, about myself, or the world in general?"

"...'Let's start with you, then move on to the world in general.'"

"'I hate that I am fat and ugly and stupid.'"

"...You are none of those things," (Buzo, 79).

I guess what Laura Buzo is trying to say is that we hate things that really are not even there. We have to step back and think through what we like and don't like and what is real or an illusion. But then she adds in, "I know I should say that I hate wars and starvation and inequity. And I do. But on a day-to-day basis, what I hate most is that both my parents smoke." (Buzo, 79).

This shows us that even though words like war, starvation, poverty, disabilities, and more are in the back of our heads we don't think about it day-to-day and it's not what we deem to be important on a regular basis. We tend to worry about homework, stress about social situations, or exams. We focus on the way people treat us or the situations we see and not think about how we treat others.

So, readers, I challenge you to take a selfless approach to the new week and new year. Maybe even think about some of these issues with society a little more. Remember, I'm not trying to call you selfish or offend you in any way. I'm just stating how I feel about society, myself and the book.