Silence is Assent
I've been meaning to break up with Facebook for a while. I have an addiction, I'll admit it.
Why can’t I quit you?
The pursuit of validation in the form of likes, laughs, pictures and posts is a powerful one, and in the world of writing, a world which is already lonely to begin with, one often is left with no external guage of how something is being recieved. And that’s what Facebook fills for me, the instant reaction to ideas, thoughts, and story. Rather than write an article and throw it out blindly to the world, I can see in real time how it grabs folks, see what needs work and what does work, and through editing, craft a piece on the fly. That’s all amazingly helpful information to know. All that being said, I think it’s time for a leap to a new jam.
I don’t consider myself brave, a revolutionary, or a hero. What I do consider myself is someone who tries to take on board information and news, think critically about it, and form an opinion on it based on my values and upbringing. I am not an expert in politics, hell, I’m not an expert in most of the shit I write about. However, I am someone who is trying to carve out meaning in an increasingly bizarre world and make the right choices, positive choices that benefit my community, my family, and myself. I believe that you don’t have to be religious to be moral, you don’t have to be lawful to be good, and you don’t have to be kind in the face of intolerance. I was told once by a very bad boss at a bank that “silence is assent”. I cannot condone or assent to what I believe to be a critical threat to American democracy. I also want to bring some brevity to a dark time through storytelling, comedy, and opinion. I am not a movement. I am a little blue man in a big red state.
If you’re a fan of the underdog, a fan of providing opportunities to those who don’t have access to them, a fan of feeding children and taking care of the most vulnerable members of our community, and doing so with humor and a kind heart, I hope you will join me here. I’m going to be posting regularly, not all political, but not apolitical. The older I’ve gotten the more I’ve come to realize that every word, every act is political, and the ability to say “I don’t really follow politics.” is a bland cop-out dropped from a place of privilege. I didn’t ask to be in this game, but the game came to me, and children, I am going to play it.
This thing says that some of this I can hide behind a paywall, and I probably wont. I think paywalls are dick. However, if you like what I’m writing, and you do want to subcribe, that would be awesome. I have two Type 1 diabetics at home and could use all the money I can get.
If you do subscribe I’ll give you some benefits. A few behind the scenes posts, and maybe the odd bespoke poem or two. I don’t have money, but I’ve got a lot of words in my head. This is part of getting those out.
So there you have it. I’m glad this first one is over. I feel like they’ll get better from here on out. Thanks for following, and let me know what you’d like to hear about from a little blue man in a big red state
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