"Yeah, I’m glad she’s not dead anymore. Being dead is definitely worse than being alive. When you're dead, you can't do all the cool stuff you can do when you're alive. You and I, we can do all kinds of cool stuff 'cause we're livin'. We're not dead. We're alive. If we were dead, we wouldn't be able to do all the cool stuff we can do because we're alive. Dead people can't do cool stuff. Only people that are alive can do cool stuff, because they're livin'. And you have to be livin' to be able to do cool stuff. You have to be alive. Yeah, except, when you're alive, sometimes bad stuff happens, too. Like sometimes you can get in a car wreck, or you can have a headache, or twist your ankle, or even stub your big toe. So bein' alive is kinda hard, too. But I think it's definitely better than being dead."
It blew my mind.... First of all, It's hilarious. But not only that, It also got me thinking since I recognised it so well. Then it came to me: I've been at several social events at which people took themselves so seriously without having anything to say that they actually talked exactly like that. Of course, the subject was somewhat more complicated, but they basically didn't say more than Randy says above. I guess it totally depends on the group of people you're hanging out with at the time. Two subjects that easily slip into the mold are philosophy and politics. Probably because most people know less about them than they are prepared to acknowledge, or just because they like to sound smart. Don't get me wrong, I love a good debate! I just can't stand the ramblings of people who are intellectual posers. Political youth organisations in Sweden are a great example (Speaking from my own experience). People talk, A LOT, about the same things over and over again, complain and whine about society and everybodys total lack of compassion, about how multinational corporations and globalisation taking over. I agree with most of these facts, and everybody's free to think what they want. What bothers me is that many talk passionately about them while drinking coffee and then, instead of doing anything about it, just go buy lunch at a McDonald's (wasn't multinationals the scum of the earth just a second ago?), buy cheap shoes made by kids in India (since they don't want to buy any from the evil multinational brands). Same thing goes for demonstrations, some people do involve themselves in a cause and actually make a difference but most just show up to random rallies just because their friends do, or because they like the thought of making a difference. How is anybody supposed to take a cause seriously if the protesters themselves don't?
Changing the world, or just a part of society requires a huge investment of time and energy, and you can quite easily spot who's really prepared to go all the way and who's mostly interested of appearing as something they're not. I try to have a different approach to it. A couple of years ago, I realised I don't feel strongly enough for any popular "youth-political" subject, in other words I was one of those who would hate McDonald's but have myself a cheeseburger after a couple of pints. I couldn't take myself seriously anymore, and the idea of not being able to explain my action versus my ideas of how things should be made me find this other approach. Instead of crying out my ideas loudly I started to ignore the political details and instead behave in a way that would make the world around me a better place. In other words: Fuck politics. When in line at the food store, give that 2 dollars the person in front of you is missing for their salad, you won't miss them. Slow down on the street and look at what's happening around you, help out if you can. Demonstrating against violence isn't really helping if you run away when someone gets beaten up on a night out. The "practice what you preach" method seems evident to everybody but many just like the idea over actually applying it. A teenager tries to cheat his/her way onto a bus and gets caught? Pay their fare, it's not expensive and you'll feel good about yourself.
So start noticing the world around you! It doesn't stop at Idol, ...s got talent, or your new haircut. Live as you preach, and acknowledge the world as it is, good or bad, you can change what's close to you. I promise you'll be a happier person if you look the buss driver in the eye and greet him, recognise his existence, than if you donate money to any political party. But maybe I'm just rambling about my own fix idea of how to make the world a better place?
