a quote about writing vs. action plus a life rant
". . . words and writing are all nothing, and most die, for action is the life of all, and if thou dost not act, thou dost nothing."
--Gerrard Winstanley, 1649. Winstanley was one of the English Diggers who, through exemplary direct action, demanded the abolishment of private property and encouraged the poor to reclaim the commons.
It's so strange for me to feel like these words are true because I work for an organization that teaches writing. I feel such guilt about not being action-oriented with my politics since the election of Nov. 2004. When I got the Assistant Editor position I put my energy into VOICES full time and didn't see the point of not having free time just to work toward a long-term political shift. I worry that my relative priviledge/financial comfort=laziness. Hanging out with the anarchists for the last couple weeks is making me think about my life and what i need in it to the point where i don't know if living by myself is really the best thing for me. i feel like i'm too lazy at this point in my life to get anything done if other people aren't around to see me working on things. i've noticed that when i do good things for other people i'm not humble enough to not announce it. i need vocalized affirmations that i'm a good person who's taking actions to help people around me. why? i think i'm ashamed that i'm not doing something BIG with my time so i need people to notice when i do little things that are good. VOICES is great, but not as fulfilling as i need it to be. i could make it more challenging for myself if i really tried, but printed media is only so attractive to me. i crave more disruption, more impact, more interaction. i'm thinking if i go to school it's got to be focused around media arts and community development. i need to learn about the media and advertising so i can gain a skill set to fuck with mass media. i need to learn how the leaders of the past have organized grassroots movements to bring about change. i need to learn how art has been a vehicle for social change. i need to learn about education as social justice.
i'm getting involved in the space, but taking free classes for myself and organizing a discussion group/sewing circle and soccer just isn't enough. i hope to find more action-oriented folk to help me get motivated and collaborating to make Tucson a bette place.
i'm babysitting once a week. but i need to be doing more healthy cooking, exercising, art projects and social change shit...why do i feel like i don't have the time? and i'm preoccupied with this idea that if i figure out how to schedule all these things in and still get to the occasional dance fiesta, how am i going to let all this go in the fall. i almost want to back out of going to school in the fall to see if i can have this life without school. but i don't want to cop out. and not going to school would be a cop out. i'm worried that i'm not mature and skilled at school enough to get straight A's and that's what i want to do. i want straight A's since for the first time since middle school.
--Gerrard Winstanley, 1649. Winstanley was one of the English Diggers who, through exemplary direct action, demanded the abolishment of private property and encouraged the poor to reclaim the commons.
It's so strange for me to feel like these words are true because I work for an organization that teaches writing. I feel such guilt about not being action-oriented with my politics since the election of Nov. 2004. When I got the Assistant Editor position I put my energy into VOICES full time and didn't see the point of not having free time just to work toward a long-term political shift. I worry that my relative priviledge/financial comfort=laziness. Hanging out with the anarchists for the last couple weeks is making me think about my life and what i need in it to the point where i don't know if living by myself is really the best thing for me. i feel like i'm too lazy at this point in my life to get anything done if other people aren't around to see me working on things. i've noticed that when i do good things for other people i'm not humble enough to not announce it. i need vocalized affirmations that i'm a good person who's taking actions to help people around me. why? i think i'm ashamed that i'm not doing something BIG with my time so i need people to notice when i do little things that are good. VOICES is great, but not as fulfilling as i need it to be. i could make it more challenging for myself if i really tried, but printed media is only so attractive to me. i crave more disruption, more impact, more interaction. i'm thinking if i go to school it's got to be focused around media arts and community development. i need to learn about the media and advertising so i can gain a skill set to fuck with mass media. i need to learn how the leaders of the past have organized grassroots movements to bring about change. i need to learn how art has been a vehicle for social change. i need to learn about education as social justice.
i'm getting involved in the space, but taking free classes for myself and organizing a discussion group/sewing circle and soccer just isn't enough. i hope to find more action-oriented folk to help me get motivated and collaborating to make Tucson a bette place.
i'm babysitting once a week. but i need to be doing more healthy cooking, exercising, art projects and social change shit...why do i feel like i don't have the time? and i'm preoccupied with this idea that if i figure out how to schedule all these things in and still get to the occasional dance fiesta, how am i going to let all this go in the fall. i almost want to back out of going to school in the fall to see if i can have this life without school. but i don't want to cop out. and not going to school would be a cop out. i'm worried that i'm not mature and skilled at school enough to get straight A's and that's what i want to do. i want straight A's since for the first time since middle school.