Who Are You, Really?

who are you,
really?

you are not a name
or a height, or a weight
or a gender
you are not an age
and you are not where you
are from

you are your favorite books
and the songs stuck in your head
you are your thoughts
and what you eat for breakfast
on saturday mornings

you are a thousand things
but everyone chooses
to see the million things
you are not

you are not
where you are from
you are where you're going
and i'd like
to go there
too

m.k.

Oh I love this quote-poem-saying-thing!!! Who are you, really? How do we see those around us, really? Do we see them for their race, their gender, their popularity ranking, or their social groups? What if we chose to see people for their stories? What if we got to know them as a person, we felt their joys and pains, we've seen the way their eyes light up with passion? Who are their friends? Why do they eat that for breakfast on Saturday mornings? What kind of a person are they? What do they believe? What are their values? I wish we could love people enough to know them and who they are, and love them so much, that no matter who they are, that we could always be there for them and want to go with them. Because what is the point of judging someone based on what you see? Once who get to know someone, you realize that everyone has a story and everyone really is equal, because everyone has joy and pain, and everyone is human. Moral of the quote-poem-saying-thingy: get to know people's stories, because everyone has a story, and it is worth it to know it, because it is worth it to love them.

What Did Your Parents Most Want You to Be?

You can watch the video here!

For some kicks and giggles

I also found this piece of street art in our city by the others, and it made me happy :)

Speaking of Street Art...

Speaking of Street Art, I found this image and I thought it was BEAUTIFUL for activism!!! I think oh so often we don't do "activist" things because we're afraid of looking stupid. Going back to the nerdy thing, I think activists and nerds alike have passion that they don't let fear of other people's judgement hold them back. They follow what they believe in, even if they get dirty looks or are ridiculed for it. You stand up for what you believe, no matter the circumstances, even if you look stupid for doing it. 

Art and Activism

One of the most important ways we can change the world for the better is through activism, which is sometimes hard to define. To me, activism is simply the action of standing up for what you know is right, and teaching those around you through example and kindness, about those values. Together, these values can and will create an impact on the world for the better. Through activism, we can leave the planet better than when we found it. A lot of people interpret activism with a negative connotation because it is implied to hold stubborn people who want change or reform without thinking of the consequences that change/reform would have. However, I think activism has a better side to it. Not all activism is protesting and yelling at government officials for some kind of reform. Even I'm against that. To me, activism is so much more. It is taking the "Captain America" approach: standing up for what you believe in at all times and in all things and in all places. Believing in values, and upholding those values even when everyone else rejects them. And then, activism can be done through poetry and art, and other creative gestures. That's what this post is about: art and activism, and how art is an expression of values, of truth, and of passion, and with such a beautiful expression, making a literal imprint on society and being phenomenal activists.

Particularly, our class has had the opportunity to search around the city to find some pretty fantastic murals and other forms of street art. I would like to talk about this piece.

This isn't simply one mural with another mural in the back. This is a whole group of murals, and some of them aren't even in the picture. This particular piece, with the moose, is painted on the side of a firearms shop. Site-specific artwork has a point unique to other gallery forms of artwork, because the location in and of itself has a critical meaning in the work. In this case, although it may be a beautiful work, its position on a firearms shop wall gives it a special and unique meaning, that it perhaps wouldn't have if it was on a canvas in a gallery. 

One of the profound impacts of art as a form of activism is that art, like poetry, holds questions, thoughts, and impressions that the mind begins to review, causing the viewer/reader/audience to use critical thinking skills to deconstruct a message of their own, without other people forcing ideas on someone like a protest or government reform. Poetry, artwork, and even movies are beautiful, intriguing, and contemplative, which causes an inevitable conversation on some important issues and discussions. I've already discussed how Cinderella and Frozen, and even Comic Con have had an influence on me and my activism, how I have become a better person through engaging in a conversation on the values, messages, and emotions that come through these things. Artwork does the same. It produces thoughtful conversations to display something about the world and how to change it. 

With that in mind, let's discuss this work's conversation. Here we have a moose being serene and calm, mentioning perhaps the tranquility of nature and the beauty of the world, but as the scene gets darker and darker and increasingly more chaotic, there is either damage, imagery, or confusion. What is in store for the future of this moose? We are unsure. Will he get killed? Will his home be destroyed? We assume something must happen because of the transformation in the piece. Then of course there is the location, because in site-specific art, the location is just as important as the work itself. On the wall of an armory, the message begins to take form. One interpretation could suggest rebellion; the very guns sold will also become the very tools to bring chaos to the forest. Is this an anti-hunting message?

Also important with location is the relationship between murals. Behind this moose is a gorgeous rendering of the Virgin Mary who stands out in her own respect as a diverse woman. Her religious beauty and detail, whether intended or not, stands high above the moose, looking on. Again, whether or not these murals were meant to be placed together, the conversation between the works automatically adds to the conversation between the works and the viewer. Here we have someone holy and sacred looking upon a beautiful form of nature and witnessing its downfall and destruction at the hands of firearms. If the mural is indeed intended to be an anti-hunting message, then the location of the Virgin mural makes that message all the more powerful.

But then there is certainly more to the story. While it is easy to point out the anti-hunting message, other arguments including the pollution of natural habitats, and the encompassing story of shifting nature, whether for better or for worse, as well as stories including the Virgin Mary, such as a strong and vibrant beating heart, and a connection to culture and people. All of these have important placement within the work's atmosphere. For example, the Virgin’s beating heart can be seen as a symbol of hope. For the group of people in the area that believe strongly in the Virgin Mary, this work gives hope through a connection, and seeing the reality of a living, breathing, heart-pumping human being, and it draws a connection not only between the believers but also any that look upon her. Because the heart is such an important detail in the work, it produces a sense, in one way, how the Virgin’s sacredness comes from her heart, and therefore brings hope to viewers, because they, too, can have a “sacred” impact, maybe even upon nature?

Both these messages, of nurturing and protecting forms of nature, and acting with the Virgin Mary as an idol, create a new-found impression of the world, and actions that reflect that new impression. That's what makes them important. Like a poem, simply attempting to understand what these works may be saying or may be revealing makes a change of thought and a change of mind. Art, including graffiti/street art can have a powerful activist impact, through imparting site-specific messages and relationships to present ideas that are sometimes difficult to accept or understand. 

A little Captain America :)

Lavender's Blue

Well. Perhaps there is something you ought to know about me. I love Disney things. A lot. And that is a severe under-exaggeration. My family has been Disney fans their whole life, particularly my grandmother. So I grew up with it, and I don't regret a thing. I may know almost every word to every Disney song EVER. and I truly mean, EVER, including all those songs no one knows about like Bing Crosby's Katrina, and Darleen Carr's My Own Home. I even know Kanine Krunchies, Lack of Education, and The Phony King of England. I may even know It's a Small World in a few languages, including Swedish. But the other day, I've added a new song to that collection. Not traditionally a Disney song, but now included as one (in my mind), I have added a beautiful rendering of Lavender's Blue.

Global Citizenship? Yes, I'm coming to that. Activism? Yes, that too. But It might take me a moment to build up the background, which will probably result in a very long post, so please forgive me. That background all starts with Frozen. The movie was released November 27th, 2013. In May of 2013, I found out about the movie doing some Disney-fan-research online. Excited that there was a new princess movie in progress, I became immediately joyful and let my friends know. I then followed its release, for those eight long months, anxiously awaiting that Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Finally it came. We had night-before tickets, and we got Mexican food beforehand. And then we went to see it. Now, granted, I knew the whole story (Well, most of it. We knew that Anna was engaged to Hans at first, but ended up with Kristoff at the end, so we knew something had to happen there, but Disney actually kept the whole Hans-thing very secretive. We just assumed that Elsa fell in love with Hans :/ that was a mistake). But sitting in that theater, I knew what the story taught about. It taught about what I consider to be the values of Christmas (I absolutely love Christmas and Christmas time): Family, Courage, Faith, True Love, Hope, etc. And I knew that these were all beautiful things that I should honor and practice and pursue. Then, As soon as that Vuelie chorus played, and I saw the first snowflake on the screen, I started crying. I was already crying and the movie hadn't even started!
Snow has always been special to me, because it reminds me of Christmas, and it reminds me of those same values, When I see the snow fall, I am so happy and so joyful, because it strengthens me by reminding me of those values of courage, family, faith, love, hope, and more. And I was filled with peace as I watched that single snowflake fall from the sky. The movie continued to please me, and to this day I will declare to everyone I meet that I truly do love Frozen. But I don't love it because it was popular, I don't love it because she "didn't need a man to save her" I don't love it because it "broke the stereotype of true love's kiss" and I don't love it because it was a "cute Disney princess movie." I love it because it taught me about faith and hope and love, and because of the conversations that followed with my friends, the conversations about life. Crime and Punishment was also a large influence during this time, so we talked a lot about repentance, change, and becoming better people. As a result, I became a better person in the process. From Frozen and the conversations that followed, I became more forgiving, more kind, more loving, and more patient. I was more courageous also, to face my trials. I was so grateful for Frozen and what it did for me-- being a vehicle to my personal growth.

With that in mind, and as I continued to progress as a probable English Teaching major and English Literature minor, I had a continual heart and spirit for reading meaning into stories, be them novel, play, or movie. People ask me why I love Disney so much, and I tell them because It is a way to surround myself with good things, and strengthen myself.

And now we return back to Lavender's Blue. You might be aware that the new, live-action Cinderella came out last week. And I went to see it, by coincidence, the day it came out. I went in with very low expectations. I thought it would be entertaining, but I also thought that it would slightly ruin the original, beautiful story. But I was wrong. In fact, as of this very moment, I may even go as far as to say it is more powerful and moving than the original 1950 classic. But then again, that might be too far, I might change that quickly. Would I suggest it, though? Absolutely! It is so incredibly powerful and beautiful and moving.

I feel that it will quickly become the "new" Frozen. Because I loved Frozen so much, and because it brought me such peace and joy to stand in the theater-- a holy place, as it was fiercely transformed into. So I went back. And back. And back. I ended up seeing Frozen in theaters seven times, and collected every ticket, and cried every time. Already, Cinderella has been out a week and I've already seen it three times. I have a feeling I'm going to spend a lot of money on this movie, because this movie, too, has transformed the theater into a holy place. And just as Crime and Punishment was a powerful influence in the analyzing of Frozen, this class, the Global Citizenship Activism class, has been a strong influence in the analyzing of Cinderella. Plus, I am also preparing to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And that preparation has also been a strong influence. And, as last night proved, my dear friends and I are beginning to discuss the power, because it truly is power, of such a great movie.

So with that, I want to show a tiny glimpse of what Cinderella has meant to me, and how a song like Lavender's Blue could strengthen me when darkness closes in.To begin with, Ella's mother, before she dies, makes her promise to always have courage and be kind. An unlikely pairing of values, it has truly brought out a curiosity of the strength and relationship between them. And through it all, when Ella is faced with deep and heart-wrenching, tear-jerking trials, she is able to always come out victorious, through merely staying true to her promise to her mother-- always having courage, and always being kind.

Youth Council

We have had the important opportunity to participate in starting a Youth Council for refugees. The point of the council is to gather together members of the refugee program and get their feedback on their position in the program, in their foster homes, and in school, as well as learning English.

This has been a fantastic opportunity to help students in our area, and make an impact in the world, especially at a local level. I am very glad we've had this opportunity to help those in our area, as we reach out in the world, and try to help the change the world. However important it is to be kind and reach out in simple ways, it is also important to reach out in large steps as well, and I feel like this is one large step that we can take. We are getting to serve and help those in our area, which is really important if we want to leave a positive global impact.

This was only our first meeting, and we are planning to attend two more, which will hopefully get the students started on their own council and can keep it going even when we've finished our semester. The purpose is to help the refugees in this program to have a place where they can share ideas, plan events, and give feedback to the leaders of the program, and our purpose is to begin their councils and show them how to perform a cohesive meeting, that they may continue these meetings without us.

With that in mind, in looking back at our first meeting we can come up with ways of improvement. There are four questions I will attempt to answer in reflection. How did the process go? What are some specific details noticed about the group process? What went well? and What should we focus on next time?

First, how the process went. I think we had some good ideas and we did get our refugee friends to talk (I was really worried that they wouldn't) and our group, although it was incredibly large, was all welcoming and kind and helpful. I give many thanks to our group, because they were so kind and so open! I think that was an important part in the process because if our group just went and sat down, quiet and reserved, the process would have gone much different. Being open and kind like that was a key factor in helping these refugees open up and have a productive meeting. But we had a good plan in place, and we adjusted that plan as necessary as the meeting called for those adjustments. There were some issues because only three refugees showed up, where a good-sized group was supposed to attend. We had a productive meeting with the three we met, and got to know them, but because there were so few, we didn't have a lot of thoughts to cover time for 2 hours. So we ended an hour early, which wasn't planned. Overall, the process went well, despite all the adjustments we had to make and cutting time short due to only three members.

I certainly noticed that the meeting didn't go exactly how we had planned, and I think that might be something we want to share with the refugees, because if our purpose being there is to teach the students how to run a successful meeting, we should help them plan the next meeting, and then also help them to understand that sometimes (actually most of the time) the actual execution of the meeting doesn't go according to that plan, and needs to be adjusted as you go. So the group process of planning went well, the group process of delegating responsibility went well. Those that were given tasks completed those tasks with efficiency, and those that weren't delegated a specific task, still performed their responsibility of being kind and being supportive and helping the leaders. Together, we had a cohesive environment. So I think the group process went well.

My Beloved World

Here at the university, we had the glorious opportunity to have Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor visit and speak to us. I just wanted to take some time and talk about her wisdom and advice as we embark on our own personal lives. Many of the things she shared had a strong impression on me, and I wanted to talk about some of those main themes. I'd like to begin with a quote:

"So many people grew up with challenges, as I did. There weren't always happy things happening to me or around me. But when you look at the core of goodness within yourself- at the optimism and hope- you realize it comes from the environment you grew up in"

"My hope is that I will take the good from my experiences and extrapolate them further into areas with which I am unfamiliar..."

Ms. Sotomayor spoke strongly of finding goodness and staying true to goodness. She expresses that no one has it easy in life, and although our struggles are all different, we all struggle. But the defining characteristic of these struggles is what the do for you. Being able to rise out of struggles, and change in the process is the part that shines light upon your life, and brings you optimism and hope. The environment we come from, or the environment we live in, although it may be challenging or frustrating, we can have courage as we face them, and as we keep an open perspective, and a shifting attitude towards the positive, our minds are filled, and we rise above our challenges and our weaknesses.

I appreciated how she shared with the audience the idea that no matter what circumstance you come from, you can achieve great things. She acknowledged that difficulty can arise, and we are all blessed in different ways. But the key is being able to find the ways that you are blessed, and stay in the territory of hope. Then, you can achieve what you are determined to achieve.

She made sure that we understood that in being a judge, and being a lawyer, one of the most important things she has to do is place herself in others' shoes. However difficult it may be, she can't look at a situation from the outside, but rather see where this person is coming from, and what this person feels and why they did the things they did. From there, she uses her values and morality to determine the rest.

Then, there is the idea of staying true to yourself. She shared that you need to continually strengthen yourself, and continue to be better yourself. Rise from your challenges, strengthen yourself, surround yourself with hope and optimism, and use those to strengthen your values. The stronger person you are, the easier it becomes to help others.

Of course, she discussed that very idea of helping others. She expressed that is the true purpose of life-- to strengthen a community by helping neighbors, family, and friends. By becoming a global citizen, and making the world one dynamic community by serving all those around us-- locally, nationally, and internationally. What impressed me is that not only did she speak of the value of serving others, but she expressed it through her very example. She didn't just talk the talk-- she showed sincere care and love to the audience. She treated each question with heartfelt consideration, and treated each person with kindness and love as she addressed them. She even walked up into the stands to sit with the audience. To her, the glory of standing on a stage and giving a speech wasn't important. She wanted to interact with the people, and show that she was one of them. I was very impressed by her humility.I had the interesting perspective of having my father work with her as her medical escort on her visit here. He shared with my family exactly how humble she was, and how kindly she treated everyone she came across. She requested pictures with those that worked with her, and shook hands with everyone she met. She held conversations with those around her, and met new people-- was sincerely interested in what these new people had to share. To her, every soul was important. That, to me, is a stronger way to preach of service than giving a speech on it. Sonia Sotomayor was, through her daily actions, an activist, and she stood up for the values she believed in, and did what she knew was right. She believed in service, and she acted upon those beliefs. She truly believed in and acted upon honor and respect as she treated those around her as people with a strong individual worth.

Thank You, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, for visiting and speaking to our university!

I Have a Nightmare

Respect. Honor.

One day, they might diminish. The world somehow dwindles the value on respect and the value on honor. The value on kindness, even. It seems that now, in the quickening pace of the changing world, people pick and choose who they will be kind to. Who they will respect. Who they will honor. Who they will protect and defend. And even what for that matter. This is a nightmare that I have.

Can you picture a world where no one respects another? Where no one truly holds to values?

Well. Picture This.

A group of high school students sitting at a lunch table. They wear expensive clothes, they have expensive things. They come from well-known families. They are popular. Across the lunchroom sits a lonely kid, no one to talk to; no one to laugh with. To the popular, he looks "socially awkward," but maybe he's just like the nerds I discussed in my last post. Maybe he just doesn't know anyone to talk to; to share his passion with, yet. But the popular kids won't talk to him. Never. This kid is too weird; too awkward.

Respect. Honor.
One day, they might diminish.
This is a nightmare that I have.

Picture This.
A woman, feeling independent, feeling liberated, and who is not about to be under the rule of "any man" turns against her husband and yells at him day in and day out. Who is the one ruling in this situation? Who is the one discriminating?

Respect. Honor.
One day, they might diminish.
This is a nightmare that I have.

Picture This.
Someone, race, ethnicity, gender, nationality aside, is pushed aside while attempting to walk into a building.

Respect. Honor.
One day, they might diminish.
This is a nightmare that I have.

Picture This.

Some discuss racial groups. Some discuss gender groups. I don't care about groups. I care about people. 

But I believe in hope. Martin Luther King, Jr. Had a Dream. My nightmare doesn't have to be a nightmare. It can be a dream too. I believe in hope. I believe in the possibility of happiness, of joy, of respect, of honor, of kindness. I believe in honesty, I believe in responsibility. And I believe the world, too, can accomplish joy. Have faith, have hope.

"I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down, but it is not this day! This day we fight!! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you stand..."

- Aragorn, Speech at the Black Gate,

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Nerdy

I am a nerd. And am proud of it!! I do archery, play Dungeons and Dragons (I'm actually the best thieving elf that ever existed lived in a fantasy world), and certainly know my way around Hyrule. I gather together with friends to read poetry, and have long discussions on the back porch about Hamlet and Раскольников. I can explain the plot line of Kingdom Hearts, and why it is that the Doctor wears a fez, though my audience often won't understand. I've had my years with a Star Trek movie every Sunday and a chronological Disney marathon through the Summer. I've been thinking about this a lot lately with comic con next week (!) and was having a discussion with my brother about it. We laughed at how nerds act, but all in good appreciation, because I realized exactly how much I love nerds.

There's a stereotype about how nerds act-- that they're anti-social, but like the typical stereotype, is critically wrong. Just look at a convention-- we love socializing! When two nerds get together with passion in their eyes, they may never stop talking. They let who they are and what they love shine through, and they are proud of that. They are happy with who they are, and they don't let others break that. They are open to each other and accepting of each other, because they all recognize that passion within each other. If you went to comic con and asked someone dressed as the Doctor where he parked the TARDIS, he would totally play along. You could have a whole conversation with someone you've never met before, and not be afraid at all. That's why there are conventions! We like to stand in places where we feel comfortable, where we show who we are and what we love, and be completely accepted for it.

What does this have to do with global citizenship? Well, it takes some thinking, yet it seems that I've been doing a lot of that lately, with activism and citizenship, and connectedness, and school, and work, and a social life... So everything is woven together in my mind to form one massive ball of wire, with shocks of ideas bursting through every few seconds. So, needless to say, the idea of global citizenship somehow crossed my mind in thinking about comic con. Particularly, on holding tight to values and letting them guide your life. I decided to make all this into a blog post because of this quote by Wil Wheaton. Please excuse the length, but I think it's worth the read.

At Calgary Expo 2013, Wil Wheaton was asked by a fan to tell her newborn daughter why being a nerd is awesome: "Hi Violet, My name is Wil Wheaton. It's 2013 and you've just recently joined us on planet earth, so welcome. I'm an actor, I'm a writer, and I'm a dad, and your mother asked me to tell you why it's awesome to be a nerd, and that's an easy thing for me to do because that's who I am. I don't know what the world's going to be like by the time that you are old enough to understand this. I don't know what it's going to mean to be a nerd when you are a young woman. For me when I was growing up being a nerd meant I liked things that were a little weird, that took a lot of effort to understand and appreciate. It meant that I loved science; it meant that I loved playing board games and reading books, and really understanding what went on in the world instead of just riding the planet through space. And when I was a little boy people really teased us about that... and made us feel wrong for loving those things. Now that I'm an adult I'm kind of a professional nerd, and the world has changed a lot. And I think a lot of us here realized that in being a nerd, or in being a geek... It's not about what you love; it's about how you love it. So there's going to be a thing in your life that you love, and I don't know what it's going to be. It might be sports, it might be science, it might be reading, it might be fashion design, it might be building things, it might be telling stories or taking pictures. It doesn't matter what it is... The way you love that, and the way that you find other people who love it the way you do is what makes being a nerd awesome. The defining characteristic of us... the people in the room (camera pans to the audience with cheers) The defining characteristic that ties us all together is that we love things. And some of us love Firefly, and some of us love Game of Thrones, these are things you'll be able to see in your history books (laughs). Some of us love Star Trek or Star Wars, or anime, or games, or fantasy, or science fiction. Some of us love completely different things, but we all love those things so much that we travel for thousands of miles (which is probably easy for you but we're still on fossil fuels).. we come from all over, in some cases all over the world, so that we can be around people  who love the things we love, the way we love them, and that's why being a nerd is awesome. And don't ever let anyone tell you that that thing that you love is a thing you can't love. Don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't love that "that's for boys you have to love this cause you are a girl" You find the things that you love and you love them the most that you can. And listen, this is really important. I want you to be honest, honorable, and kind. And I want you to work hard, because everything worth doing is hard and I want you to be awesome."

So the point behind this lies in a few ideas. I was thinking about how great it is to be an activist as we discussed in class, but then my brother and I were discussing how great it is to be a nerd, too. And somehow or other, my mind made the connection that nerds are activists and activists are nerds.

Let's hope I can use the right words to express my messy-wire-ball-of-a-mind...

To begin with, there's love-- there's passion. What unifies nerds, and also what unifies activists, is love. Truly  loving things, being truly passionate about something you believe in, something that makes you stronger. See, something not a lot of people think about is why nerds love the things they love. Although I can't speak for every nerd out there, I can talk about me, my nerdy friends, my dear nerdy brother, and all the other nerds around me. We love the things we love because it makes us stronger, it makes us better people. I do archery because it tests my patience, my concentration. I play Kingdom Hearts because it teaches about love, about friendship, about courage, and duty. I play the Zelda series because it, too, testifies of courage and duty. I play Dungeons and Dragons around a table with friends because I love to laugh and play and exercise my mind with those people that I love. Poetry helps us understand the world, helps us get out of the rut of "riding the planet through space." <<Преступление и Наказение>> (Crime and Punishment) is all about forgiveness and mercy. Have you ever heard some of the 11th Doctor's quotes? "We all change, when you think about it, we're all different people all throughout our lives. And that's okay, that's good, you gotta keep moving, so long as you remember all the people that you used to be." This is why I am a nerd, why I love the things I love! It's because it betters me as a person, it makes me stronger and kinder and more honest, and more willing to forgive. It makes me more open to courage, and more appreciative of the people in my life.

"Nerd life is so much better than regular life!!" - John Green. And when you love something so much for reasons like that-- bettering yourself and bettering your life-- you can't help but be proud of it. You can't pretend it's not a big deal. You have to stand up for that passion and believe in it with all your soul. You have to-- even if the "cool" kids disapprove. Even if you're made fun of for it. (Are you starting to see the connection with activism and global citizenship?) To them, strengthening their values and their character is more important than anything the world tries to convince them of. Nerds would rather strengthen their values and take an opportunity to be a stronger person than heed to popular consent. It doesn't matter what it is that you love. Some people like Star Wars, some like Star Trek, some would like to go to a convention, while others would rather stay home and watch movies. it doesn't matter what you love, but no matter what it is you need to stay true to the values behind why you love it. Wil Wheaton dictates this advice to Violet: "You find the things that you love and you love them the most that you can. And listen, this is really important. I want you to be honest, honorable, and kind. And I want you to work hard, because everything worth doing is hard and I want you to be awesome." It doesn't matter what you love, as long as you stay true to what you know is right.

Sometimes the things that make you a better person-- the things you love-- will be things that the "cool" kids like. Things that are popular, or socially acceptable. But more often than not, the things you love and the reasons why you love them aren't "cool," aren't popular, and sometimes you get made fun of, laughed at, or given dirty looks. I've been there. I've had dirty looks more times than I could count. I've been called weird, I've been ridiculed, and sometimes I've even been yelled at for the things I love. And I have a feeling that the majority of the people reading this have felt that sometime, too. But in the heat of the ridicule, to willingly choose to be surrounded with uplifting material, and stay "honest, honorable, and kind"-- what strength!

***

Here are some of the fundamentals that I've noticed and that I want to guide my actions as an activist. First, an activist needs to be passionate. So strong and powerful in their beliefs. This comes before ever wanting to influence the world. You have to be strong in what you believe, even when the world shuts you down. Even when you're made fun of for it-- when you get those dirty looks. When you're standing alone. You're in a group of friends, you're in class, whatever the circumstance, you stand up for what you believe. That is true activism. You stay honest, honorable, and kind, and you work hard and do your best. You stand up for what you believe in, and you'll find pretty soon, that you're changing the world. Captain America's most famous line of all time (back to the nerdy thing...) is in the comic books, not the movie. 

He says, "...doesn't matter what the press says, doesn't matter what the politicians or the mobs say, doesn't matter if the whole country decides that something wrong is something right. This nation was founded on one principle above all else: the requirement that we stand up for what we believe, no matter the odds or the consequences. When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth, and tell the whole world-- 'no. you move.'" The requirement that we stand up for what we believe in-- not a truer word said. Activists want to change the world for the better. So they stand up for what they know is right. They stand up when it's not the popular opinion. They stand up when they are ridiculed for it. They stand up for others because of what they believe in. The protect other people, they are kind to other people. They are honest, honorable, and kind. No matter what your circumstance, you stand up for what you believe in. Sometimes, this even means standing up for what you know is right when other activists want you to abandon those beliefs. You stay honest, honorable and kind no matter your circumstances. That means that even if you believe in something, you try to show people through kindness, through hope. You don't tear down others to get your point across. When others tell you to initiate change by forsaking your values, you can be an activist there! You remember to always be honest, honorable, and kind. You remember to respect other people, protect other people, and help other people. You don't forsake your values for anything. And that's how activists will change the world. 

A convention is a beautiful thing! When nerds get pushed out of "normal" social settings, they may feel isolated or alone. There's the stereotype that we don't like to socialize, which isolates us more. Yet, we find each other. Are there Dungeons and Dragons campaigns around the county? Yes. Yes there are. Every Wednesday night, there is a volunteer DM to hold adventures, you can show up with a character and join in! The point is, nerds are somehow united. Wil Wheaton says, "The way you love that, and the way that you find other people who love it the way you do is what makes being a nerd awesome." Activists unite too. And their uniting force is centered in what they believe, in what they know to be right, and in their passion and love for something. Activists go all over to be with people that love/believe the same things they do, sound familiar? nerds do that too. There is power in groups, there is acceptance of each other, power in being with each other, and if you really want to change the world, it's so beneficial to do it with others on your side! Unity is a powerful force! He reminds us that, "the defining characteristic that ties us all together is that we love things."

Wil Wheaton also says that when he was a kid, being a nerd meant that he loved things that took a lot of effort to appreciate. One of those things was "really understanding what went on in the world instead of just riding the planet through space." As activists, we can't be blind to the wrong in the world. We can't be ignorant of our own footprint (See Connected by James Fowler). We need to understand how the world works, how people interact, why they interact the way they do. We can only change the world through understanding who people are and what they believe. You can't change the world if you're stuck in your own muddy footprints. Looking out at other peoples, other mindsets, and truly seeking to understand other people, and loving and respecting everyone for simply being human, that's the only way to change the world. We can't just ride the planet through space, we need to understand "what [goes] on in the world" Then we can focus on changing the world.

And then, finally, "It's not about what you love; it's about how you love it." How, what a glorious word. We can say "why" we need to change the world all day, but when will we buckle down and say "how" will we change the world? One can change the world through anger alright, through in-your-face protests, through blaming the fault on others. Sure, that will leave an impact. But it is often a negative one. How are we going to change the world for the better? through kindness. Through love. Through respect. And remember, we need to stand up for these values no matter what. Even if "the whole country decides that something wrong is something right." We still stand up for what we believe in!!! We let our values guide our actions, and through that, we can change the world. 

To close, I want to share this epic quote from Samwise Gamgee.

Frodo: "I can't do this Sam."
Sam: "I know. It's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something."
Frodo: "What were they holding onto Sam?"
Sam: "That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo... and it's worth fighting for."

"One Touch of Nature Makes the Whole World Kin"

In Troilus and Cressida, Act 3, scene 3, Shakespeare presents this universal line: "One touch of nature makes the whole world kin." And there it is: an idea that people in this messy world can be family, and implies that they should be. Earth and its people are one-- and so every individual is not only linked to their neighbors and community, but also communities from all over the world, and ultimately the earth itself.

Global Citizenship begins with connected-ness. When one understands the role they have in the world, including their relationship with peoples of worldwide cultures and their relationship with the natural world, they find themselves certain of their position of global citizenship and are therefore entitled to all the blessings and responsibilities of that citizenship. To stand strong, confident, and encouraged by what the world has to offer-- these are the results of a family-- not merely awareness.

In Spring 2015, this global citizenship course will take on a touch of activism. Yet, activism, you think, comes often with a negative connotation. But then there's the definition we discussed in class. This is the definition that I believe captures the true passion of an activist. Now, an activist is someone who believes something, and believes it with passion. They view it with a great deal of importance. And then, they stand. They stand firm in those beliefs, and they stand up for those beliefs when something threatens them. Sometimes that means standing up for yourself, sometimes standing up for others, but no matter what, you can stand up for those things in little settings, and in big. Be it in a classroom, a group of friends, or bigger settings like communities gathering together to state their voice on the condition of their living. Activism is important in this world, because we want to change for the better. We want to leave this world better than when we found it. Leave an imprint, but a good one, one you can be proud of and not like stepping on a butterfly.

We're family. We're kin. We're one. And what is it that makes that unity? What is it that ties is together? One touch of nature. One world. We are connected, and we need to see that, then act upon it. That's what activism really is. Acting. Changing the world. And all it takes is one person, one voice, one action. So act!!!