Last weekend, I was fortunate enough to model for the Kent State Fashion School’s annual senior fashion show. The experience was excellent, and the production was elaborate.

For the final show, many respected industry professionals were invited to watch. The production committee gave them front row seating so that they could get a proper look at the amazing final pieces.

All of these extremely talented student designers were given a chance to voice their talent and be heard. The experience made me proud of how much the world has evolved in the last few decades.

Do you remember the chapters from our history textbooks about the different wars our countries have fought and the amount of lives that have been mercilessly sacrificed in the name of patriotism?

Do you remember learning about the times when people were barely free to step outside their houses feeling safe, let alone voice their opinions and have it be heard without resulting in a death sentence?

Look how far we have come.

Coming from a developing country, I have heard stories from my grandparents about how much of a struggle it was just to be able to make a decent living and have dinner every night.

They were never asked what their passion was or what their dreams were. They grew up when India was still being freed from the remnants of British colonization.  

For some of us, the world has never been as comfortable to live in as it is today. That is not to say there is no more suffering because there is a lot of suffering in many countries. However, in countries like the U.S., which I am still new to, individuals who have the option of relying on loans to fulfill their professional dreams are truly fortunate.

Getting the chance to be educated in the professional field of your choice is a gift. Having the ability to voice your talent and have it heard is a gift.

It is so easy to take all of this lightly, but a few decades ago, all of this might not have been even remotely possible.

Every time I read any newspaper, even the Stater, there are a lot of columns and articles (my own included) that highlight some very specific problems that require rectification. This is how journalism works.

But if we take a second to really look at how far we have come as a global community, maybe it will reduce our need to complain so constantly.

There are still a lot of problems to be solved and a lot of issues surfacing as you read this, but this was the case last century, too, and those problems were overcame so that we could breath freely now.     

Similarly, the problems today will be overcome. There is still hope for mankind.