Through trying to gain more attention for my book, I've acquired quite a few more blog followers from all over the world as well. So, today I thought I would just write from the soul. Let you all know where my head and heart are right now and where I soon see my attention going. This is likely going to turn into a bunch of ramblings, but I hope you all appreciate the realness and honesty this time.
But first, let's set the mood a little with a song that I'm listening to on repeat right now as I write this. Ed Sheeran. I See Fire. Beautiful. Have a listen for yourself.
So, my 28th birthday is tomorrow, and I cannot help but think back over the past year and be thankful for everything that has come to be for me. I graduated with my Master's in sociology roughly a year ago. Since then, I have taught sociology at a local community college for two semesters now and done quite well. I will hopefully be beginning a Ph.D. program soon. I finished my first written work and published it. I've experienced a lot of emotional healing from my love, whom I plan to spend the rest of my life with. We live in a nice, small house. We are healthy. Blessed. Happy. I couldn't ask for a better life at this point in time. Yet, there will always, ALWAYS be this part of my soul that is not content knowing that I, personally, have a comfortable life. I will always be concerned about the lives of others and the fact that there are billions of people around the world, including many in my own country, that don't even have access to the basic necessities in life: food, clean water, shelter, and clothing.
In the larger scheme of things, in this massive world, I am a nobody. To my friends, family, and partner, I may be everything, but in terms of the amount of say I have in the world, I am nothing. Most of us are nothing. But maybe that's why what we have to say should be so important to the other "nobodies" in the world. I have nothing to gain from changing things, other than hopefully bettering the lives of other "nobodies" elsewhere. My motives are pure. Good. For the betterment of all, not for my personal gain.
I know that I'm educated. Talented. "Smart" as other commonly call me (even though I hate that word). Good-hearted. A good professor. A good writer. But because I am a nobody in a world of increasingly concentrated power and wealth, chances are no one will ever give my ideas the time of day. I am still growing and expanding my intellect, but I am in no way naive enough to think that I ever need to stop learning, no matter how much I educate those around me. But I also know that I will likely be one of those people that are looked back upon years from now by people who say "Wow...maybe we should have paid a little more attention to her." Because my ideas are not convenient or comfortable for the majority in the world.
I sometimes wish that these acknowledgments and realizations were enough to make me give up on writing and educating. But it's not. Because it's part of my soul. My very being. And there is the voice of good inside of me that continues to tell me that I am doing the right thing, regardless if the rest of the world pays attention or not. So, I will continue to do what I do. Work harder even. And pray every night that it will eventually make a positive difference.
For those that haven't taken the time to read my first published work, I hope that you do. However, you should know ahead of time that it's atypical. Yes, I argue that America needs a restoration of Christ but not for the reasons that most Christians argue for. I argue more for a return of the positive humanistic qualities that we could all benefit from. I also apply this argument to America's culture and social systems, which is different from what most people who talk about the "Antichrist" do. I use biblical scriptures to justify what "Christ-like" qualities look like; however, the bigger argument does not have a religious message, but a social one. America needs a massive change to their culture and functioning within our nation and with the rest of the world.
I think what I want people to get out of this work is that collectively, as an entire society, we are to blame for the negative state that we are currently in, as well as for how the rest of the world views us. We focus our attention so much on the outside enemy today (the "terrorists") when we have stronger enemies within our own borders that will likely commit the worst evils we have ever seen with the extreme power and wealth that we have allowed them to accumulate. These inside enemies have already committed great wrongs against the rest of the world, which is what has caused us to have outside enemies to begin with. Yet, as the majority of Americans turn their blame to the culture and social systems of the outside enemy only, opposed to asking, "What have we done as a country to create outside enemies to begin with?"
Of course, we as everyday citizens always have an opinion about things and have caused America to fall through our reluctant agreement and lack of concern for what our government really does and who we put into power, but the actual actions that have been committed against the rest of the world are from the hands of our leaders. And the entire world is controlled by our powerful leaders and the powerful leaders of the other "top" countries in the world. They create negative relations with one another and let the citizens of their countries hash it out for them through terrorist attacks and wars.
This has to stop...citizens from all over the world need to wake up and realize that they are only fighting wars and battles among each other that will only benefit those at the top. It will bring no benefit to their personal lives of us at the bottom. The only thing that will bring benefit to the individual lives of people all over at this point is increased communication with one another to search for the problems we are currently experiencing and possible solutions. We are all human beings. We all long for true peace and well-being for everyone around the world. We, as citizens, can create that with one another if we truly try to. We don't need our governments to tell us what "peace" looks like anymore, especially since we see how poor of a job they've done thus far. They aren't concerned about peace. They are concerned about money. On all sides.
Soon, I think I want to attempt to start a group/organization/whatever you want to call it...consisting of regular, every day people from all over the world, who follow different religions or spiritualities, who come from different social classes, and who have different political opinions...to come together for open communication of ideas and desires. And see what happens.
I truly think that the current negatives in this world could be solved for all of humanity if we put all differences aside and join on the commonality of a desire for true, humanistic peace.
More on this group later. But this is where my heart and mind are right now and what I hope to begin soon. I hope everyone will consider joining me in this.
