Neglecting society for myself

Never mind 'normal,' what ever that is. Whoever said it was fun being 'normal' anyway? When did we think it was okay to act like the same kind of person?

Never mind you, society. I didn't want you busting into my life and controlling me in the first place.

Clarification

I will just like to clarify that civil rights, human rights, environmental crises, and anything that involves all humans are neither a "conservative" nor "liberal" issue. They are HUMAN issues and they don't belong on a spectrum of affiliations.

The crazy things I miss

What I miss about church is the feeling of being saved. Sure, it might have been an illusion, but it was great while it lasted.

Bad case of foot-in-the-concrete

One foot forward and swing the arms. The concrete swallowed the rear foot whole; how does this always happen? No one else seems to have the same problem and this is getting ridiculous. Swing the arms more, maybe, just maybe, they could propel the body forward.

3...

2...

1...
And the arms fling forward and the lead foot pushes off the ground, only to be swallowed as your rear foot is released. Without ever consciously giving any consent, gravity decides to pull down and the now freed foot compulsively steps forward to stop the awkward meeting between face and concrete.

It's really difficult to get anywhere when your feet are stuck in concrete.

Pursue after something with a battering ram

All these little thoughts, do they really mean much? As I think them out, in words I just hear blah blah blah. They will never find themselves being airborne. They will forever be imprisoned on pieces of paper strewn carelessly aside. Some won't develop into a grown-up thought, if there is such a thing as a thought growing up. Others won't even make past the picture in my head. Stupid, dumb, lazy, good for nothing thoughts unable to achieve their brilliance that they ought to pursue.

The Hands drew out a curve and asked the Eyes what they saw. The right Eye said a rainbow while the left Eye said the outline of the moon. The Brain scoffed at their nonsense, "It's just a curve. Nothing to it." 

"Why must you shoot them down?" Reprimanded the Heart like a protective parent. "Let them see it as how they want to."

"Well, what do you see?" The Brain said quick witted as usual. 

"I see the curve of a body and the crescent smile that tugs at the corner of the lips. I see the curve continuing into an oval eye or a fallen eyelash. I see the eclipse of the moon by the sun, and I see the curve of the Earth from the moon with the sun sparking at the horizon. But most importantly, I see the potential of the curve to be something monumental."

The Brain, Eyes, and Hand were left speechless at such passion the Heart held.

What I know

I'll admit that there are very few things I understand when it comes to the whole scope of the universe and all the possible jobs and techniques and technology. But one thing that bothers me to the point of irritation and kicking something is politicians. Now, I don't care if you're conservative, liberal, green, black, orange, or purple. I DO care about whether or not you hurt someone (or multiple someones) or something(s). As long as your opinions do not get shoved down my throat, but these politicians, and I mean BOTH sides, are getting ridiculous.

Women's rights. Funny joke, right? If you laughed at those words, I hope you stub your toe. Women have been subdued and taught to be submissive since we decided a Patriarchy is a better way to run things. But the importance of women throughout history is huge. A Spartan woman was expected to be strong willed as to teach the children how to be strong. Women have been raising children, working the land and/or jobs, and have been keeping the house and the men going. Without women, we wouldn't have the other half that makes a successful society, which takes teamwork from both sides.  

And potential policy-makers want to shove women 20 years back? Oh hell no. There are women in the Secret Service, the FBI, the CIA, and so on. 

Plus, why can't we have someone from the LGBTQ for President? Why can't we have someone who fought more for the lives of others than for their political career? When the hell are we going to have a women president? And why is there no atheist in office when this country has no OFFICIAL religion?

Saturday morning rants as to how the United States ought to be.

My head is about to explode

In my mind there is a map of the galactic forces at work.
I don't know what that means, but I do know that my head hurts.

My heart has an imprint of some kid's face on it.
I know what that means, but I wonder how it got there.

The little indents on my fingers feel raw.
I'm sure it's from feeling the rough walls and the paved ground.

The pattern has a loose thread

Qui, nella notte                                                           Here, in the night

C’e` un terrore                                                             There is a terror

Ma non esisge                                                             But it doesn’t exists

Fuori la testa                                                               Outside the head

Durante il giorno                                                         During the day

C’e` un eroe                                                                There is a hero

Ma non esisge                                                             But it doesn’t exist

Dentro la testa                                                             Inside the head

Dov’e` l’eroe                                                               Where is the hero

Durante la notte                                                          During the night

Nella testa                                                                   In the head

Per lottare il terrore?                                                   To fight the terror?

Slacktivism is a disease, not a social advocacy

Slacktivism. There, I said it. It's when you try to advocate for something but how you are doing it is by pressing 'Share' on Facebook.

Almost everyone and their mothers saw the Kony 2012 video. Almost everyone and their mothers are outraged by the happenings in Central Africa. Why? Because they took 30 minutes out of their day to watch a video.

But why is that slacktivism? Because! Invisible Children is an amazing group that's been around for about 6 years. The use of child soldiers in Central Africa has been around for 20 years. Amnesty International has been around for 50 years. The local chapter on my campus has been around for about 6 years also. But nobody pays attention. It's the 'Kitty Genovese' scenario on crack- everyone thinks that everyone else is doing something about it, when in fact, very little are. For too long social activists have been trying to get the world (1st world societies) to pay attention, and for too long we have been ignored. And then a video shows up on line, 30 minutes is all it took for the gasps, sighs, and angry outcries to occur. But when you're trying to stop rape in the Congo, no one will stop to take 10-15 seconds out of their life to sign a petition.

That's a HUGE discrepancy. 30 minute video vs. 10-15 seconds to sign a petition.

Okay, okay, maybe it'll take a bit longer than 15 seconds. 1 minute to hear what we have to say, read a letter, and sign. That's a 29 minute difference!

And now, you all pay attention. And now, you all want to do something. Go ahead, click 'Share' - for some of us, that's our first step of action. As we have been fighting battles all too similar to this, we're just going to make this another topic that we're going to hit. But others, the slacktivists, they hit 'Share' because for about an hour they will be festering an outraged attitude towards Joseph Kony, but then it will fizzle it out.

So what's the difference between a 30 minute activist video and a 1 minute petition sign and letter reading? Well, besides 29 minutes, the difference is you are all just sitting there, on Facebook anyway, waiting for the next best story to pop up and here it is. Not like you have anything else to do? Food is right in front of you, right?

If you really want to do something, get off Facebook, do some research, learn about the movement, and join the fight. And this doesn't have to be about stopping Kony; LGBTQ rights are being infringed upon all over the world; women are being raped while people are losing their access to water; NDAA is being discussed and passed taking a way the 1st Amendment of the Constitution (FREE SPEECH, people).

You want to continue to frolic in the liberties you have as an American? Then stop pressing 'Share,' start joining local chapters of world wide organizations, be part of the bigger picture, start fighting for something because this is OUR world, and I'm not going down without a fight.


Some sites you should visit:
For the United States :http://www.amnestyusa.org/

For the global community: http://www.amnesty.org/

Invisible Children: http://www.invisiblechildren.com.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/

NYPIRG: http://www.nypirg.org/

The days of the week are just plain lethal

Sunday evenings are the sign of impending doom, as the hangover from the weekend still hasn't worn out and the money gambled on the game was what you needed to pay the rent.

Mondays are the end of the world. No one wants to wake up with the regret of not accomplishing anything over the weekend and having to catch up on such nonsense at an ungodly hour on Monday morning when the coffee just isn't strong enough and the pens keep running out of ink.

Tuesdays are a rebirth of sorts. You wake up, make your coffee, get to work, but the work you blasted through the day before in a coffee induced stupor allowed some spare time for you to imagine your plans this weekend to see that kid you went to high school with.

Wednesday's a hump day, everyone knows that. If you make it through Wednesday, then you're practically destined to make it to Friday night pizza parties on the couch in front of the television.

Thursdays are just sickly. It's so close to Friday but there's just no steam to get there. The only thing that is getting you through are the thoughts of the Friday night bashers, the Saturday afternoon barbecues, and the Sunday morning hangovers.

Fridays are particularly nasty, especially the mornings. Nothing says hopeless endeavor like being three cups of coffee in and still can't open your eyes wide enough to see the boss talking to you. But as soon as the clock strikes that final hour, the eyes widen and any socially acceptable behavior you may have had up to this point disappeared quicker than a freshman's first keg stand.

Saturdays have a weird affect on the mind and body. You know that last night may have been too rough on the liver, or that you just should not have stayed awake for that long after a rough week at work, but you did it anyway. And now you have those dates, barbecues, social events, dinners, sporting events, etc to attend to, and you will, with the help of a little psyching up from the best friend for life (bffl omg) and you're ready.

And then Sunday morning hits, and you wished you slept a bit later Saturday and that you didn't have work tomorrow morning, but the weekend was just too good to ignore. We all know that Sundays are the days to get the stories straight for the Monday morning water cooler story swap while still in your coffee induced coma.

Relax, it's just life

The chances of falling off a high rope are at their highest when you look down.

The chances of belonging to a community are at their lowest when you really look around.

But the chances of you making it through today, well they're at their highest when you figure out how to breathe (in through the nose, out through the mouth- it really shouldn't be all that difficult, should it?).

Under the microscope

Well, I'm home again. After all the run around of the past week, I'm finally sitting on my couch tip-tapping away at a keyboard. Spring Break has officially begun, and my reservations for a two story house in the woods have yet to be cancelled. The bed is made, there's a supply of seltzer, and the constant scrutiny of the voices floating around the house. "You're getting fat." "Beast isn't a proper term for a beautiful girl like you." "You lift too much." "You don't eat this, so I guess I'm going to have to give it away." Blah blah blah.

The constant scrutiny of the all seeing eyes. The love-hate relationship that you learned to settle years ago with the shrug of the shoulders and the roll of the eyes. Whatever, all they see is what they want to see. What they expect and what I expect hardly ever coincide, and sometimes I wouldn't trade it for the world. And other times, I just want to scream.

But I don't. Because it wouldn't do anything anyway. So I go into the garage and lift and workout. If you're going to disapprove of my activities, and then do it whole-heartily when I'm shoving back in your face.

If you constantly try to live up to other's expectations you will never achieve your own happiness. So if you're going to piss people off, do something you enjoy. Society has too many double standards and not enough trend makers, rebels, real people who are willing to give the finger and go on with their lives.