Now, I had decided a while ago that, strong conviction permitting, I wouldn't stray into solemn, desolate territory. I'd stick to the light-hearted, feel good banter you've come to know and love from... well, whatever the hell this blog is.
...Despite the aforementioned conviction that I had tried to cling to so resolutely, I feel there are things I need to say, things I myself wish I had known ten years ago, or even five years ago, or even two years ago, or- and I'm gonna stop it right there.
And it's funny in that "revelation of universal truths (there I go with the universal truths again) that should be obvious to everyone and kinda are but no one actually listens or heeds them" sort of way. I mean, why do we do that? Why do we as humans accept all of this great advice, and totally understand it, and then completely disregard it?
Partly, it's due to our nature to self-sabotage.
Partly, it's due to our nature to really not pay attention to people, or really listen to their idea(l)s.
However, I've come to believe (emphasis on BELIEVE) that it's mostly due to narcissism, selfishness, and apathy towards the greater population.
"This person can't possibly right, they're crazy, I'm going to do my own thing."
"Well DUH, that's obvious, but I'm going to forget even the fact that it's obvious and go over here and do my own thing."
"Uh, well, see, that might be true and all, but I don't feel it affects me, so I'm going to go over here and do my own thing."
"...Dude, you lost me at conviction, I honestly don't care about what you're talking about, I'm going to go to the mini-mart, get some Slim Jims and do my own thing."
Sound familiar? It should. (Except the mini-mart part, unless you have a friend who REALLY has a thing for Slim Jims.)
It's not entirely our fault, you know. We were raised this way, bred in a selfish, narcissistic, apathetic society that taught- no, PREACHED- that it was "uncool" to give more than the tiniest of shits. (Yes, I say "our", I'm just as much a part of the problem, call me a hypocrite if you wish but please note that I at least recognize my issues, dammit.)
You know, that's sad. It's sad what our society has become. It's sad that we're brainwashed so easily by shady marketing and sketchy advertising campaigns. It's sad that we make good people into laughingstocks when they fall on hard times and are therefore deemed unworthy of any ounce of dignity. It's sad that we find public humiliation and degradation entertaining. But it's so much more than that. It's sick. It's absolutely sick.
Something more sad?
The fate of this world and planet rests in the hands of my generation. My generation, the one that posts quotes on their facebook pages like "Those who criticize our generation forget who raised it" and "Go HAM!". Eughhh.
So to the self-righteous bastards of my generation:
It's high school. You're in high school. You aren't hot snot on a silver platter. You're a teenager. And the majority of the population already doesn't like you just because of that fact. So don't be a proponent of shit just because you feel like you get it all the time. Change your environment. Or, at least, try.
