And It All Just Went Away, Kinda
Michelle on Jun 27 2008 at 1:10 am | Filed under: The Personal, The Political
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I stopped thinking about politics.
I started thinking about ways to earn money instead. I found myself abandoning sites like TruthOut and reading Dosh Dosh as an unlikely alternative.
This all sounds very selfish and all, but it has worked out for me rather well. I’ve made several thousand more dollars than I would have otherwise and I’m not nearly as miserable as I used to be when I followed every evil act that Bush, Monsanto, Insert Random Big Corporation Here committed. I even quit thinking about how awful the local police are. That was hard to do, given that Sky and my school have both contrived to give me the inside view that I never wanted to see.
I hadn’t really been aware that I’d backed off from politics until I looked in an unlikely mirror. G, who was always the more apathetic of the two of us, now constantly rants about legal injustices, police brutality, corporate crimes and hypocrites in general.
I find it annoying. I try to change the subject, but he doesn’t get my hints. I can’t be judgmental here, because I was doing the exact same thing just a year ago. I will eventually work up the nerve to ask him to stop, once I can think of a nice way to put it. It brings me down.
I figure there is absolutely no purpose in ranting about politics unless one is going to do something to change them. Even then, it’s probably better to just go on and do whatever it is without talking about it endlessly. For example, going to the local farmer’s market feels good. I think it probably feels better going without carrying along the baggage of self-righteousness that I’m not shopping at Wal-Mart instead, you know?
There’s not much I can do to change things, when you get right down to it. At least nothing that I am willing to do at this point in time. So, if I’m not willing or able to stop corporate welfare (to give just one example), then why not go and read some poetry instead?
Everyone needs a hobby.
On second thought, maybe the Zoloft is just working really, really well and I’m part of the mind-controlled masses. You never know.
There really is nothing worng in changing course once in a while. Who knows– maybe you’ll be interested in politics again!
Hope you had fun writing it.
Thanks for your comment again.
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There are a few kinds of people that talks abot politics. Some actually do something about it. Some believe that if they talk about it to enough people, then somebody would do something about it. Some believe that if you talk to enough people (raised enough awareness), things will change (someone will do something about it, like the last case). And then there’s people that just like to rant. Oh, and there’s the people that want to do something about it, but feel like they can’t, so they just feel hopeless all day.
And where am I going with this again?
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I was like that for a while. I think I’m only interested in politics again because of our financial problems. Medical bills and gas prices have a way of getting one riled up. And I listen to NPR on my commute. But I unplug sometimes and just listen to an audiobook. I’m really pessimistic about the future, so poetry sounds like a good alternative to get knee deep in. Have you heard of the book Good Poems for Hard Times? A collection by Garrison Keller. A friend gave it to me after my mom passed away. Definitely bedside table material.
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