Question (with about a dozen tangents)
I've been reading some random blogs and political commentary-type stuff tonight, and it's making me wonder:
If a run-of-the-mill community college student can intelligently dissect America's political climate, if an average metalsmithing geek can point out where corruption exists in Thailand's government (okay, that's not hard- it's everywhere) and actually understand what the hell he or she is talking about, if there are millions of people just like them all over the world....
...why are things as horrible as they are? Why is the middle class straining and dying, poverty increasing, while the rich keep getting richer? Why are there people who don't know what it's like to be full? Why can't gay people get married? Why is it such a huge deal that marijuana is about as common as alcohol before the U.S. government ended Prohibition? Why is religion even an issue? There is probably an infinite number of questions that start with "Why?" that I could come up with, and I don't stay informed about current events. I'm not smart about these things. My simple little mind can't grasp so many disparate issues at once, and make them form any kind of bigger picture.
More importantly, a lot of the time, I choose not to bother. Most days, I'm distracted by shiny things, or trying to figure out what sanity is and how close I've gotten to it this week. I can't *do* anything except vote, donate, spam Congresspeople, and question what's going on if it's shoved in my face- and let's be honest, not a lot of actual current events are doing any shoving (thanks, media, you're a fuckstick in a blowhole, and I really could not care less about spray-painted alcoholic celebrities, abducted little white girls, or how the families of the victims of 9/11 are currently doing).
...god in a blender, I think I just answered my own question- "Why do people, if we know what's going on, let things get this bad?"
Although, sad to say, that epiphany doesn't change much. Right now, the fact remains that an unemployed mediocre college student like me won't have much of an effect on anything. I've stood there at protests, to "raise awareness." I'll do it again, most likely, and drag my friends. But I and mine are just tiny blips in part of something that probably won't get noticed anyway, if the events at Neuter Dame have been any indicator (go ahead, ASK me about the Vagina Monologues of 2005 sometime). If I'm going to have any shot at actually helping anyone or changing anything someday, I have to graduate, get my ass through law school, find a job and be self-sufficient.
Even then? I'm not going to be any kind of high-profile political activist or world leader. I'll hopefully be someone who litigates *against* the corporate anus cheese, campaigning for human rights and education (how can someone understand a government, corrupt or not, if they don't know how to read? I want to be there the first time a person grasps the idea that there's *an entire world* out there beyond their city or village).
I hope that's still not too idealistic. If it is, so what? I'm 23, I'm immortal, and maybe I'll make it happen.
EDIT: But for now, I need to throw some effort into actually staying informed about what's going on, even if it makes no sense and I can't do anything about it. Thanks for pointing that one out, James.
*****
In other news, I'm once again shoving drugs twice daily into my guinea pig to treat an ear infection. He's less than thrilled.
Will drove me to the jewelry store in Aurora and I spent a scary amount of money, but my meager studio setup continues to grow, and my Foredom flexshaft was delivered! The problem is, I need to find, construct or buy yet *more* stuff to put it all together and make it useable. I'm not sure which is the bigger hobby at this point- collecting tools, or metalsmithing!
I've also made a list of things I want to pack in advance for my first apartment. IKEA and Big Lots loom in my near future.
Of course, I'm "earning" enough money to cover all this (...er, sort of) by doing absolutely nothing at my dad's office, hoping he'll come up with something concrete for me to accomplish. In the meantime, though, I'm studying for the LSATs. Logic games are a bitch! Hopefully I'll get better at them if I keep practicing for a few hours every day, though, and I'll be taking a class starting later this month.
Happy 22nd birthday, Vanessa!
If a run-of-the-mill community college student can intelligently dissect America's political climate, if an average metalsmithing geek can point out where corruption exists in Thailand's government (okay, that's not hard- it's everywhere) and actually understand what the hell he or she is talking about, if there are millions of people just like them all over the world....
...why are things as horrible as they are? Why is the middle class straining and dying, poverty increasing, while the rich keep getting richer? Why are there people who don't know what it's like to be full? Why can't gay people get married? Why is it such a huge deal that marijuana is about as common as alcohol before the U.S. government ended Prohibition? Why is religion even an issue? There is probably an infinite number of questions that start with "Why?" that I could come up with, and I don't stay informed about current events. I'm not smart about these things. My simple little mind can't grasp so many disparate issues at once, and make them form any kind of bigger picture.
More importantly, a lot of the time, I choose not to bother. Most days, I'm distracted by shiny things, or trying to figure out what sanity is and how close I've gotten to it this week. I can't *do* anything except vote, donate, spam Congresspeople, and question what's going on if it's shoved in my face- and let's be honest, not a lot of actual current events are doing any shoving (thanks, media, you're a fuckstick in a blowhole, and I really could not care less about spray-painted alcoholic celebrities, abducted little white girls, or how the families of the victims of 9/11 are currently doing).
...god in a blender, I think I just answered my own question- "Why do people, if we know what's going on, let things get this bad?"
Although, sad to say, that epiphany doesn't change much. Right now, the fact remains that an unemployed mediocre college student like me won't have much of an effect on anything. I've stood there at protests, to "raise awareness." I'll do it again, most likely, and drag my friends. But I and mine are just tiny blips in part of something that probably won't get noticed anyway, if the events at Neuter Dame have been any indicator (go ahead, ASK me about the Vagina Monologues of 2005 sometime). If I'm going to have any shot at actually helping anyone or changing anything someday, I have to graduate, get my ass through law school, find a job and be self-sufficient.
Even then? I'm not going to be any kind of high-profile political activist or world leader. I'll hopefully be someone who litigates *against* the corporate anus cheese, campaigning for human rights and education (how can someone understand a government, corrupt or not, if they don't know how to read? I want to be there the first time a person grasps the idea that there's *an entire world* out there beyond their city or village).
I hope that's still not too idealistic. If it is, so what? I'm 23, I'm immortal, and maybe I'll make it happen.
EDIT: But for now, I need to throw some effort into actually staying informed about what's going on, even if it makes no sense and I can't do anything about it. Thanks for pointing that one out, James.
*****
In other news, I'm once again shoving drugs twice daily into my guinea pig to treat an ear infection. He's less than thrilled.
Will drove me to the jewelry store in Aurora and I spent a scary amount of money, but my meager studio setup continues to grow, and my Foredom flexshaft was delivered! The problem is, I need to find, construct or buy yet *more* stuff to put it all together and make it useable. I'm not sure which is the bigger hobby at this point- collecting tools, or metalsmithing!
I've also made a list of things I want to pack in advance for my first apartment. IKEA and Big Lots loom in my near future.
Of course, I'm "earning" enough money to cover all this (...er, sort of) by doing absolutely nothing at my dad's office, hoping he'll come up with something concrete for me to accomplish. In the meantime, though, I'm studying for the LSATs. Logic games are a bitch! Hopefully I'll get better at them if I keep practicing for a few hours every day, though, and I'll be taking a class starting later this month.
Happy 22nd birthday, Vanessa!