Wednesday 27 January 2016

It's just one of those days.

Hey everyone. It's still a little quiet around here on the sewing front, but I thought I'd check in anyway, especially as blogging helps me to think. Do you ever have one of those days where it just feels like everything is a little too much?

I've recently been reading Here We Stand, a book in which seventeen completely inspirational female campaigners tell their stories and discuss the nature of their work. Each woman has done something amazing; gone undercover to expose the cruelty animals in laboratories experience, trashed a nuclear weapons testing site, set up a charity to protect young girls from forced marriages, taken medical supplies to Iraq during the war to help innocent civilians. Many of them have spent time in jail for their actions.

I've stood on the left of the political spectrum for as long as I can remember. Worrying about issues like climate change, the meat industry, slave labour and nuclear weapons have become second nature to me as I've got older, but this book really opened my eyes to the lengths people are willing to go to in order to fight for their cause. The vast majority of the world is so wilfully blind to the problems we face; we're rushing headlong into our own destruction, but not enough people are willing to take a stand.

There are so many things wrong with the way our world works, so many dangers ahead. Climate change, animal testing, the meat and dairy industry, the destruction of the rainforests, burning fossil fuels, nuclear weapons, discrimination, poverty, slave labour, exploiting marine resources, war, racism, sexism, homophobia, terrorism, arms trading and the enormous, worldwide imbalance of wealth. I read an article last week which stated that 1% of the global population hold as much wealth between them as the other 99%. The whole shape of our economy is just so twisted, designed to make that 1% even richer.

Here We Stand has, of course, motivated me to try and make a difference. To add my voice to the shouts of campaigners all trying to change the way our world works. However, it was also a little disheartening. These women have achieved so much, yet in return they've been sacked, sued, abused, disowned by their families, jailed and shot at. If this is the punishment for standing up for what is right, what hope do we have of ever solving anything?

There are so many causes in need of support, one life just isn't enough to help them all. But in a world where I can see so much injustice, immorality, cruelty and hatred, how can I ever choose which battle to fight? I'd be proud to dedicate my life to campaigning for what I believe in, but until there is a mass, global shift towards changing things for the better, we're doomed to continue our downward spiral.

It's days like this that really get to me. Days when the realisation of everything that is wrong with our planet is just too much. I want to make a change, but no amount of effort could ever be enough to get the world to where it needs to be. Not until everyone is working towards the same thing.

The one comfort I can draw from the situation is that these women did make a change. They may not have saved the world, but they did their part to improve it. I can do the same; no matter how small the achievement, doing something is far, far greater than doing nothing. The actions of campaigners are not pointless, no matter how useless and futile their arguments can seem when compared against the bigger picture. Because if they don't fight for something, anything, how will anything ever get done? Every tiny step forward they take, we get another step closer to the idyllic world we seek. If enough of us work towards it, we will make it.

I just hope I live to see that day.

4 comments:

  1. Good to hear form you, I was thinking about you the other day, and wondering how you were going. Thinking through the big issues is such an important thing, and I totally get the feeling of overwhelmed. I worry a lot about the way the world is going (even if I don't identify as left myself. This world is never going to be perfect, but I think each person has the responsibility to work towards the world they want to see. This young adult stage of life is such a time to be thinking through these issues, as we work out what way we want our lives to go. I admire you for thinking through these things now, and excited to see where you end up going

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    1. thank you kaitlyn, it's good to hear from you. it's reassuring to know i'm not the only one for who the world's problems seem a little too much sometimes :) hopefully if everyone makes their own contribution, we'll begin to make a difference

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  2. I think it is great you are thinking about bigger issues but my advice on most of these would be to educate yourself more on each subjects from both sides of the fence. I work within one of these areas (from my user name I am sure you could guess!) and a recent charity article is causing major issues and it is a very biased view without taking into account any perspective or the greater picture. If you want to email me and we can have a full chat about it I am more than happy to though! :)

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    1. thanks kristy, i'd definitely appreciate some help understanding the bigger picture if you'd like to talk :) if you ever want to contact me, my email address is beththegulfmini@googlemail.com - i know i still have a lot to learn

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