You know what I think about a lot? Changing the world. You know what I don’t do a lot of? Changing the world.
I struggle with changing the world versus changing my world. How important is one over another?
I know what I can control. I know the little differences I can make. I know how it adds up and influences others. Ultimately, that’s how every movement starts. With one or two people and a few ideas. Sometimes those ideas are radical but in order for the movement to take shape, those ideas have to go mainstream.
I was talking to one of my friends about all of this. I’m a Gen X-er. She’s from Gen Y, or what some people call a millenial. Her feeling is that so much is wrong with the world and so much still needs to be change. I couldn’t help but disagree.
I was born in the 1970s. I’m into my 5th decade on Earth (wow, that makes me sound really old). And I recounted so many of the changes I’ve seen in my lifetime…
- We went from glass containers to plastic containers and now some are back to glass. But they’re all recyclable.
- Recycling is the law in many states (including mine).
- Smoking is banned in many public establishments (my first year of high school still included a designated smoking section for students).
- Homosexuality is more mainstream than ever with major gay characters in both TV and movies
- Many animal shelters, included county-owned and operated facilities, have adopted no-kill policies
Now, I’m sure for every step forward in one area, we’ve taken a step back in another. However, I feel encouraged when I see change. It might takes decades for the change to be enacted but to think of my life growing up in the 70s compared to our lives today, I’m much happier with the world we have.
The work is never done though. There is more education to be had. There is always more change to be had. The difference that I see is that more people want it and more people care about it and more people are willing to do something about it.
But what can you do? How does one person make a difference?
Through your writing, your voice, your actions, your message.
There are a few things I believe in strongly and I hope some of those things have been reflected here on this blog.
I have a passion for the environment. As a former biologist, my favorite subject was tree ecology. Every Earth Day, you’ll find me participating in local events and last year, I got my son involved in a trash pick-up.
I want to end hunger. Whether it’s world hunger or hunger in your very own city, there’s no reason for any person to go hungry ever. It’s why I starting working as a Social Media Ambassador for the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina.
I want every child to feel safe and protected. When crimes are committed against children, my blood boils in a rage. I’ve written about it simply to get it out but we need change in the laws to better protect our children and severely punish the offenders.
I want animals (wild and domesticated) to have rights. I have no tolerance for cruelty to animals. In most cases, I feel that these crimes should be treated as felonies. I also believe that animal owners need to be held accountable and responsible for the care they give their animals.
These are by no means all of the causes that live in my heart. But these are the causes you don’t have to go very deep to find. I’m going to be spending more time this year figuring out how to use my voice to make a difference. And I want to help you do the same.
I’m working on a project (shhhh – I can’t tell you about it yet but I promise I will shout it from the rooftops when I can) and I want you to be a part of it. There’s nothing for you to do now except stay tuned and hopefully tell me how excited you are too.
And, more importantly, I’d love for you to tell me what you feel passionate about and if/how you’ve used your online voice to make a difference.
Photo credit: nellart
