showing a documentary to the class
on social media
and how corporations collect and sell data based on likes and RTs etc
they are all so naive
and they are totally missing the point
they’re all like – dude, that guy is so not even funny
and i’m like – dude, he makes a living out of doing nothing but vlogging his life
you do not even realise how insane it is that that is even POSSIBLE
o.O
and then there was the whole – girls always get more likes on their profile pictures than guys
so i paused to stand on my soapboax
uh, yeah, guys, that’s because girls are taught that their entire self worth is based on nothing but their appearance
and some of the guys, who are actually really lovely kids, were essentially just like, mmm booooobs
seriously? SERIOUSLY?
those are boys that I consider NICE
NICE
WHAT THE FRICK, SOCIETY
so now i’m like f**k that, we are having a consent and self image and de-objectificat
it’s relevant to the topic anyway
but i just…
i hate that it’s even necessary
because these boys are not the enemy
they are 14 for heaven’s sake
they are spouting crap they’ve been taught, same as the girls
same as all 14 year olds
okay most
not all
but still
it just… makes me so, so deeply tired
despondent
it’s just… utterly overwhelming.
what good can I possibly do in the face of such deep and vast and yawning ignorance, especially when paired with apathy?
head bowed
and i know, I KNOW it’s not my place to fix these things
for unto me is not given the right to make mended all the sins of man
for we live but in a broken world, that shall remain broken until it is time for the end
but it hurts
and it’s hard
and all i’m doing is throwing starfish while the tide sweeps them ever back onto the shore
and some days i can’t tell if it even matters or not
even for that starfish i saved for a moment
how many moments does it take to save a man?
i am but part of the puzzle
it is not mine to resolve
and nor is it mine to be everything to these people
large changes are made up of thirty small encounters
i do not have to fix these things
i cannot fix these things
but i can provide some of those 30 encounters
even if i don’t see the change
that doesn’t mean that what i did was not worthwhile
even if i’m in despair
that doesn’t mean my actions have no meaning
i’m saving starfish
one piece at a time
one encounter at a time
and mine is to endure
to carry on when all seems hopeless
to hold a light to the great yawning chasm of darkness that threatens to overwhelm
and to trust that one greater than I holds the outline
and will use me as he can
and will use others as he needs
and will, in the end, bring about all the encounters that are required to save a man.
deep breath
it’s class time.
i thought i’d talk it out on here though so you can come back and read later.
hope this helps.