Questions:

How have you already changed the world, and how are you going to continue changing it?

Do you live sleep breathe eat shit and walk art [geekdom, bicycles, vw bugs, birds of prey, ceramics]? do you make it your passion, your life?

here's the deal. as humans, we have a burden to change the world. that's it. we have the responsibility. there is no sitting by and watching the world change on her own.

don't ever EVER be content with one option because it's just the most obvious. there are always alternatives, i guarantee it. and there is probably somebody else who's already done some thinking about it. find those people.

how will anything ever change if we don't do a damn thing to change it?

removing yourself from situations, i think, is a cop out. for two reasons: 1, you cheat yourself out of good hard character-improving learning experiences. 2, you cheat a whole lot of people out of it too. it's selfish, so selfish. to either think that someone else will change it (what if they were all like you?) and to back away from the opportunity to change it for the better for someone else.

and of course, this change, this responsibility, all starts from the inside out.

so do a few things for yourself:

become self centered. this is different than being selfish. being a balanced human being is what every human being strives for, whether they realize it or not. it is monitoring yourself, extreme introspection through whatever form you choose, to become a balanced, centered, individual. there is nothing selfish about it.

but you have to use that, don't stop at yourself. keeping knowledge to yourself when you could teach it, IS selfish.

read Cunt, by Inga Muscio.

read Writing Down the Bones, by Natalie Goldberg.

read Way of the Peaceful Warrior.

develop philosophies. about everything. about what you eat, how you eat, your education.

unschool.

watch mary poppins, and amelie, and slc punk and monty python. don't be afraid of subtitles. absorb it all, and let all of those ideas and songs and beautiful flashes take shape inside of your mind. do stuff with it. if just lending a friend one of those books, or buying a copy of it for your library or something.

develop an attitude, and responsibility. have lofty ideals, for chrissake. think abstractly. think about things BIGGER THAN YOU ARE. it's ok. it's what you're supposed to do with your brain.

live consciously.

collect Universal Truths. they are out there.

you know, i was lying in the bathtub today, reading Cunt, and thinking about history. and suddenly my brain got growing pains. and this is a lot, too much, really, to hold on to for very long. but fuck it, SOMEONE has to. and you can't be afraid. it's a weird paradox, this business -- the human brain is still trying to figure ITSELF out. you know, it's the only thing that is researching ITSELF. and that alone hurts my head to think about. and there is so much out there. how do you pick what you fight for? which is why i'm going even bigger than that. i don't care what you choose. as long as you do it with intention. as long as you throw yourself into it and change the world.