Although I was just in New York City, I didn’t visit the “Occupy Wall Street” camp. While it was a popular topic of conversation with lots of the locals that I met, I didn’t have much to say about it, not having read too deeply on the goals of the protesters. I’m incredibly sympathetic to the problems of inequity in our current financial system (I have far too many friends who are feeling an economic pinch) and I wholeheartedly support people who are willing to protest and act on their political feelings. However, it’s not my battle right now. Instead, I’m concentrating on holding my family together in the midst of so much change, I’m trying to fulfill my obligations to work and school, and I’m doing my best to be a good friend and mother and partner (and writer and cook and photographer and cat-lover and outrigger paddler) despite all of my other busy-nesses.
So instead of sitting with the crowd holding a sign, I sat in conference sessions and on public transport and in cafes. For awhile I even sat on the beach and contemplated the larger-scheme-of-things.
I don’t want to seem insensitive, but is it sometimes okay to just be doing my own thing instead of fighting the world’s battles? To read some poetry and think some deep thoughts and do a bit of sightseeing instead?
There’s a part of me that’s disgusted with my complacency/ apathy, as well as with my current level of economic security. Knowing all too well what it means if I’m not part of the solution in this equation…
Article 25, Universal Declaration of Human Rights (with gender pronouns altered from male to female):
Everyone has a right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of herself and of her family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age, or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond her control.
3 comments
You’re the only one who can know which days in *your* life are best for poetry, and which days of *your* life are best for shouting. (And which days are best for shouting poetry!)
I’m with Penny on this one. If I protested/activated/whatever everything I thought needed attention, I would never get anything done…It is okay to NOT doing something, even something you agree with/support. Because, you know, you’re a human being with a finite number of hours to give. And poetry is important (as is just sitting and listening to the world move)
[…] even though I haven’t been too active in the “Occupy” movement. For me, I’m occupying my life rather than participating in a protest. Being fully present to my own experiences and to the […]