Okay. So I’ve slacked. I could try to say that it isn’t slacking because I have a newborn and two older kids and a part-time job and all, but that would be untrue. The activity of my Facebook account would be evidence to the contrary. I could have made time to write, but I didn’t. I’m sorry. It’s that poised to be new year moment where we renew commitment and try to be agents of change. I’m trying for a new start in 2012.
So here’s the deal. I’m realistic. I am not going to pledge to blog daily, or even weekly. I’m not going to pledge to lose weight. I’m not going to pledge to be a nicer person, etc. Here’s my goal… well, first a little background story.
Back in 1998, I started university. For the first time ever, I learned that there were present-day people who felt that there was injustice in the world. And I actually took up political science and public policy as a course of study to understand how power is shared (or hoarded) in this world. In the many years (and paths) of study, I have reached one conclusion: the spreading of power (empowerment) is the most effective one of increasing the overall quality of life.
And then, in 2011, folks called out the distribution of wealth in the United States. Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Seattle, Occupy city of your choice. But it called into question how wealth… and subsequently, power… are distributed in the USA. ”We are the 99%” is definitely where my heart lies, where my mindset lies. But as I gather stuff to file my tax return for the year, yikes… we’re looking a heck of a lot closer to that 1%. So what does that mean?
That means… I’ve got power. And I owe it to my 99% upbringing to not be afraid to use it.
So my goal for 2012… speak my beliefs. In ways that matter. In how I spend my time. And in how I spend my money. This is a tough one. It might mean breaking up my love affair with Amazon.com, but their impact on small businesses… and the questionable treatment of workers… make it a hard one to justify. It might mean cringing at the cost of my groceries and clothes. But really, if I don’t take the convenient route, if I pay a price that VALUES the efforts of the workers, I don’t need as MUCH stuff. Less, with quality. Less, with care about how it makes it through my doorstep. That’s my commitment for 2012 and the future.
And if the commitment starts to wane, I’m sure election year debates will help remind me why it’s so important.
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