Your point being?

I spent the later part of this evening re-reading my blogs and the responses to them on this here myspace page. I can't seem to fall asleep and I'm so damn tired of unpacking, if I see another box I'm going to stab myself in the eye with this here box cutter blade.

Oops, I just looked up and spotted a few unpacked boxes. Let's see if I can finish this blog with one eye.

I read a comment by a number of people tonight. The comment is something I'm asked constantly particularly by people in my age group.

"Why do you write about these things? Why are you passionate about these things? What's the point? You can't change the world. Why Bother?"

I am well aware that I can't change the world. Particularly with internet blogs.

Most people I know in my age range live a very sheltered life. It's a very conscious decision. To ignore politics, religion, social climates and anything that may force them to read something and form an opinion that doesn't involve the words "who cares". I've seen a friend, in front of my own eyes, grab a newspaper looking for something to read and skip over the front news story of "US considering military action against Iran" to go right to the funny comic page.

I remember thinking to myself: "That one news headline could be the beginning of another huge chapter in our world history." I remember thinking to myself: "How did he just ignore that? I mean, it's the front page, he must have seen it. Did he even read it? Or did he just know that, 'whatever it is, it's not as entertaining as Hagar The Horrible'?" What's worse: To choose to ignore it or to truly be ignorant of it?

Or am I the bad guy here? Who am I to say "You need to pay attention to this. Your ignorance is a real problem."? Why is my advice good advice?

What if I gave an apple to a guy who, I thought, was hungry or unhealthy? Then he looked at me and said. "I hate apples, I'm going to continue to eat my staple McDonalds diet" Who am I to judge? Why should I care if he lives healthy or dies an extremely fatty carcinogenic death?

Do I actually care about what people think in this world? Or should I take the advice of most people I talk to and tell everybody to go screw themselves? If they are not concerned about the things I'm concerned about, I shouldn't concern myself with them.

Maybe that's the right attitude. I don't know.

What exactly IS the point? Why do I write these things? Why do I talk about these things with whoever the hell will listen? Why am I wearing a cowboy hat in my main myspace picture?

These are all questions I don't really have an answer to. (Except the last one, it was my wife's idea and I listen to my wife. ....That really is good advice.)

In trying to answer my own questions I realized that the only answers I come up with will be in a vain attempt to justify my behavior.

I need you to tell me why. My thoughts will be based on my unconscious feeling and probably not the whole truth.

Am I a pompous jackass who is trying to show everybody that I'm better and smarter than they are because I read the newspaper and keep up on current events?

Am I truly, like I want to believe, trying to start a free discussion so that hopefully people will talk to people who will talk to people who will continue discussion?

Do I just enjoy the occasional rant?

Should I mind my own business?

I'm not forcing people to listen to me.

Do I really want to save people? Is that as contemptibly arrogant as it sounds?

You tell me. Help me out here.

I'm starting to get sleepy now, though it could be caused by the blood loss from the eye I stabbed earlier.

I'm starting to like closing with a quote: This one's a favourite quote from a favourite film.

"There's a passage I got memorized. Ezekiel 25:17. I never really questioned
what it meant. Now I'm thinkin', it could mean you're the evil man. And I'm
the righteous man. And Mr. 9mm here, he's the shepherd protecting my righteous ass in the valley of darkness. Or is could by you're the righteous man and I'm the
shepherd and it's the world that's evil and selfish. I'd like that. But that shit ain't the truth. The truth is you're the weak, and I'm the tyranny of evil men. But I'm
tryin'. I'm tryin' real hard to be the shepherd."

-Jules Winfield - Pulp Fiction