My dad has always been interested in history. He still says that he wants to be an archeologist when he grows up. He loves museums and historical sites and books about history, both fictional and not. He knows a good deal about a good deal of historical locations and figures and battles and what not.
Several years ago he decided to start a company selling Historical Miniatures (Little Tin Soldiers). At the time I really didn't quite understand it. Was there really a huge market for small collectible metal figures representing historical scenes? Well, apparently there is, and for years now he has been selling these figures as a side job, out of his house.
So today marks the long awaited day that the world is supposed to end, or at least so says some people who apparently misunderstood the Mayan calendar. Anyways, it's been a highly anticipated day for a long time, and guess what...Nothing seems to be happening. Is anyone surprised? Hopefully not really. I know that for me personally I didn't really believe that anything was going to happen today, but I must admit, there is a part of me that was kinda hoping for something.
I've said it before, "I want to live in a post-apocalyptic world. I want there to be some sort of societal collapse, and humanity to have to 'start over' in a sense." I think this is why I like the shows Revolution and Falling Skies. And, that is why I was slightly hoping that something happen today.
Here's my questions though:
Does anyone else secretly hope for something like this, or am I the only crazy one?
Fairytales, in some fashion, have been around in virtually every culture since the beginning of time. We are fascinated with them, with the fanciful elements, the larger than life events, the extra evil villains, the super passionate romances, basically all the stuff that makes a fairytale and fairytale. Often, fairytales end with a "Happily Ever After," but not always.
For some reason (which I am going to guess at here), people are obsessed with fairytales. We love (or hate) them, but so much of what we do is based on them. They are the subject of countless movies, books, television shows, songs, etc... Disney has built a massive worldwide company, and it is largely around fairytales of some form.
While fairytales can be fun, fanciful stories, inspiring the imagination, and, especially today, leaving us feeling all warm and fuzzy, there are a lot of people who have a negative outlook on fairytales because they portray an unrealistic view of life, of love. I have heard the argument that fairytales (and that concept of idealized life, idealized relationships) are detrimental because they instill unrealistic expectations within people that leave them depressed or constantly searching because life isn't actually the way it is in the fairytale. No man is a Prince in Shining Armor. No woman is the perfect Princess. Good and Evil are not always so clear cut. Best of Intentions do not always work out. There is rarely a "Happily Ever After."
This whole Invisible Children #Kony2012 campaign has kinda blown up, and it's been really awesome to see Twitter, Facebook, and everything else flooded with news about the campaign over the last couple days. The video on YouTube has received over 52.5 million views since 03/05, and the White House has responded to the campaign.
In case you haven't watched the KONY 2012 Trailer, here it is. Watch it...but don't stop there.
So you've watched the video, and probably shared the video, but what now? It is so easy to get passionate about something, to feel it tug at your heartstrings, to get fired up about something and speak loudly about it, but at some point, that passion that you feel has to transform into action.
In the case of KONY 2012, that action needs to be in the form of writing/calling your Representatives and Senators, encouraging them to continue in this effort to bring Joseph Kony down, because it doesn't matter how many times the video is shown if the ones who have the power to enforce/enact law are not behind it.
This concept is true, however, of not just this campaign. Think about it. How many movements, campaigns, organizations, ideas have you come across that you support, are passionate about? Maybe you feel very strongly about it or talk to those around you about how great it is, but then you stop there. Your emotional passion stays just that and is never transformed into action.
I've seen and felt this many times myself. It is easy to feel the passion, but the action takes a bit or a lot more work. It takes sacrifice of time, money, security, status, etc... and for many, myself included, the action is not worth the sacrifice, or at the very least, the sacrifice scares us unto inaction.
I, sadly, see this all too often with Christians. We are loud to speak out about issues, or invite people to come to church as long as we are online, but if we are asked to give up an afternoon to go feed the homeless, some money every month to support an orphan, or our sense of security to actually talk to someone about Christ or simply get to know, and show God's love to, our neighbors we shy away. What we become so passionate about in theory we shy away from in action because of the work and sacrifice it involves.
So I encourage you today, stand up for your convictions, whether they be political, religious, social, etc... Turn your passion into action. If you believe something enough to talk about it constantly online, stand convicted in it enough to act on it offline.
