Tragic

This morning, caught somewhere between consciousness and unconsciousness, I heard these words:

"A tragic event for our nation..."

And in my mind, I thought, "Oh no, something has happened again."

As I became more aware of my surroundings, of my place in the world, I peered over my bunk ayt the television and realized that there was not really any danger at hand, but that FOX news was purveying eight years into the past, recounting all the horror that happened on this day, this 11th of September.

It made me realize this:

The greatest atrocity could be occurring, and I might be sleeping, completely unaware of the nature of reality around myself.

It made me wonder this:

What suffering is occurring in my sad little world that I do not even recognize?

Some tragedies are apparent, and might be talked about on FOX news for the next twenty years, but some tragedies are latent--hidden in the fabric of life all around us, hidden in the proverbial corners of our communities.

Sleep is great, but perhaps we all need to arise from our slumber and attend to the tragedies around us.