It's a Small, Small World

Well, about six months ago, if I had asked people where Malaysia was, most would be able to say “Asia” but that would be the extent. Heck, I guess I would be in that majority if truth be told. We started looking into a move here well before the tragedy of MH 370, and then the rest of the world found their map (plastered all over CNN) and realized where Kuala Lumpur was … and Ho Chi Minh City … and Perth.

Now, our adoptive homeland is making headlines again, and in an amazing turn, for the exact same reason. We awoke to texts, emails and missed calls on the morning of the 17^th and found out what the Western world was watching while we slept the night away. “Jacson, are you awake enough to listen because there is news and it is not good,” was my alarm that morning. I immediately found my senses because that statement never ends well. My first thought was my biggest fear in coming to Malaysia – someone had been in an accident (or worse) back home. She told me that another Malaysian Airline had crashed, and this time over the Ukraine.

Being seven hours behind the “Awake News Network” kept us from immediately knowing about the surface-to-air missile that led to the fate. All we knew was that another Malaysian Airlines plane was down, and obviously we immediately assumed it was somehow connected to the previous accident. My next thought was, “What in the world is everyone back home thinking?”

In the time period between contacting parents in Bottom and Little Utah, we came to find out about the missile launch. In a sad, sick, morbid (yet fully understandable) way, this brought some level of relief to us. For months we worked to debunk all the myths, conjectures and conspiracy theories regarding the MH370 tragedy. Of course, had we not chosen KL as our new residence, this probably would not have taken up any of our time. But, it is personal for us now, but not at any level to the point it is for those who have lost family members, friends and colleagues in the two events.

I was shocked to find out that my sister had taken to Facebook to basically tell people to stop hounding my family with opinions about how ridiculous Jill and I were for bringing our family here. Why did she have to do this? Well, its because our world is shrinking … what used to happen in faraway lands now ends up square in our living room via Anderson Cooper, the Huffington Post, and worst, social media. More and more Americans are venturing outside their comfort zones and exploring the other 99.9% of the world outside their front lawns. And because of that, people tend to personalize news today that was found on page 14 twenty years ago

But, don’t personalize this news just because you know one of us. We haven’t been affected. Personalize it for the people who lost loved ones on their way home to celebrate Raya, the official close of the Islamic Ramadan month of fasting and celebration. To give this cultural proximity, imagine a whole load of Americans being shot down on the way home a week before Christmas, or Thanksgiving, or just in general, to be with family and loved ones they had not seen for quite some time. Think back to the days when we first heard about the TWA bombings of the 80s, the Oklahoma Federal Building bombing of the 90s. Or, yes, that fateful day when all of America felt vulnerable at the level we had never experienced before. The Alan Jackson song, “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?” has resonated in my mind over and over the last three days. The world didn’t stop spinning when the World Trade Center collapsed … it just paused for a moment in a region not used to being so exposed and so scared.

To my knowledge, there is no Malaysian version of Alan Jackson, but the world has paused twice here in the last six months. But, the resilient folks in Malaysia are moving forward despite national mourning yet again. The freeway to the left of my bedroom window keeps jamming up. Families continue to fast through the day and eat grand feasts at sundown. The Indian family played in the pool today with the Chinese family as my American sons splashed and dunked away with their new Polish friend. 

If you want to be concerned for someone, pray for the people in the Crimean region where things are really going to get crazy in the coming weeks. Pray for people on both sides of the Gaza Strip border, Palestinian and Israeli, as that conflict only continues to escalate. Pray for those who are the victims of genocide in Africa, human trafficking here in Asia, for the poor and starving, the emaciated and desolate. Pray for the homeless asking for change at the intersection of Wal-Mart and Outback Steakhouse. Most of all, pray for peace amongst all who make decisions as politicians, warlords, rebel leaders and the like.

But, don’t pray for us just because we moved to Malaysia. We’re fine.