Friday, September 13, 2013

Writing for Writing's Sake

Good afternoon Cyberspace. It has been far too long since my last blog post update. I haven't exactly been busy or occupied or anything; unless you count working five to six days a week, eight to ten hours a day (which I don't). Regardless it is not work that has kept me from maintaining my blog or any of the other things that have suffered over the last few months. Nope, it's not that I'm too busy; it's not even that I'm uninspired because there have been a whole bunch of issues that I could have easily written posts about at great lengths but chose not to. 

Today I am having a pretty lousy day. I awoke to a phone with no text message notifications from a loved one. I arose to a hard rain pounding down all across the city which negated my ability to get the things I wanted to do done this morning...like get to a store to buy something so that I could eat some breakfast. Above that I also did not sleep very well, haven't been eating all that great and have generally been stressed about finances. I went to the wrong building when I arrived at work and had to walk back through the rain to get to the right one, my brain is groggy and I feel disassociated. BUT! I am determined to start making changes and resuming regular blog posts (this is like my third attempt in the last six months) is part of that. So here I am, terrible day, and I am forcing myself to write something even if it's just griping.

Lately there it has seemed like there has been an ever increasing rise in negative attitudes and opinions everywhere I go. People attacking people over this or that; people vilifying other people because they share differences of opinion; every day good people slinging insults and attacks because they share different political ideologies; people using other people for scapegoats for issues that could in no possibly be attributed to the simple stupid and mistaken actions of a single individual. And I'm nobody's fool; I don't expect campfires and kumbaya but a little human decency and respect isn't really asking for a lot...is it? 

Not sure what else to write about right now. I suppose just getting something out is a way to get the ball rolling on resuming writing. I mean, if I write about nothing and nonsense enough there is bound to be something creative or inspiring to find its way to the surface. Like that old expression: a thousand monkeys typing on a thousand keyboards for a thousand years will eventually hammer out the entire Encyclopedia Britannica (or all of Shakespeare's works depending on the origin). Let us hope that it doesn't take me a thousand years to find something interesting and passionate to type about.


Well, nearing the end of anything sensible to really discuss. I guess I will add something relevant to local and global events just to feel like I've shared something important for you: 

Firstly, let's stay the hell out of Syria. While I am aghast and horrified by the use of chemical weapons against civilians, I also opposed military intervention into a country that has been fighting a civil war for years. I am all for humanitarian support for the people of Syria and maybe we should be set up near borders to assist with that but Syria should be permitted to find its own path just as the United States once did and we did in Canada (though for us there was little violence in comparison). 


Secondly, if Miley Cyrus' twerking was something you felt compelled to talk about longer than her performance at the MVA's then you spent far too much time on it. 


And lastly, frosh weeks at post-secondary education institutions is a complete and utter waste of time and resources. University is for education, not humiliation. Frosh weeks may help people to break out of their "shell" but more often they help people to get drunk and get stupid. The events and activities at many of these events, especially the after hours ones, as despicable and no child in the world would feel comfortable doing these things if their family were there watching. If you wouldn't do it at home, don't do it abroad. Also, don't act so fucking surprised to hear about it either. That really pisses me off. People acting like this stuff has never happened before. It's been happening for years and years and years and we continue to turn blind eyes to it so you don't get to claim ignorance here. One last thing on the subject, the SMU incident was not isolated and similar occurrences will continue to happen unless we address the issue and not sit around looking for who is at fault for it happening. A student union president's resignation; sensitivity training for student leaders; disciplinary action for two students; and a promise from faculty will not a solution create. While there are outside groups applying pressure, it won't do any good if the support dies off once the next big news headline hits. Stay vigilant to the issue and don't think because we've made some cosmetic changes on the surface that anything is different underneath. Rape, rape culture and sexual assault are serious matters; not to mention illegal, and the life-long affects of being a victim are impossible to gauge. But I've gone on too long about this here, and not long enough about it to properly express and share my thoughts on it (another blog post perhaps).

Guess that's it for today. This is my third attempt to re-kindle the writing fire I had not so long ago and I really want to tell you, and myself, that I am committed; that I will follow through; that I will get back to doing that which I enjoy but let's face it, talk is cheap without action. Here's hoping the action I started here today continues as a reaction tomorrow...and then again the next day...


A wonderful day to each and every one of you who may have stumbled across this garbled blog post of vague ideas. One Love.

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