But. For the sake of argument, if I somehow could go back, maybe, just maybe I could use my social graces to change some minds. Based off of how I handle current ethically problematic commonplace practices, I think it would go a little something like this:
That actually played out even better than I was picturing. I really nailed it talking with that redhead lady and getting her to turn her horribleness around. And that whole comic really highlighted my amazing typography skills. But really. How do you stand up against all the commonplace atrocities being committed around us every day without just alienating everyone around you? Because, if you pay attention at least, many of our small daily choices make us directly complicit in the suffering of other humans and animals. How do you convince yourself that there is any point in caring about any of it when making a real difference seems so impossible? Do you just try to not be awful to those closest to you and call it a day? I sure wish I had some halfway decent answers.
But. For now, I guess I'll keep periodically saying foolish things that alienate most of my friends and family. I'll do it for the exploited people in the third world. And the non-human animals everywhere. It's the least I can do.
Literally.
Haha, nice drawings and comic in general. The expressions are great. What are these foolish things you say to alienate people? I'm pretty sure you're tactful enough that they don't come across as foolish or alienating.
ReplyDeleteYou're a mom. You have a huge influence on your kids. You will teach them and pass it on. That's something. At least, that's what I hope. That even, in my fairly homogeneous neighborhood, my kids will see who I am friends with (people in the neighborhood and others from soccer, work, writing, etc) and see the broad spectrum of genders, religion, colors, etc. Or maybe, they won't see them at all (even better)! They'll just love them all individually because they're amazing people. And they'll turn around and do the same with the friends they make, with their cousins, with their aunt, and so on.
ReplyDeleteOh, and btw, it seems to me that you were Viola Swamp had you lived in the civil-war era. Odd.
Oh, and another thought (because I just keep adding oh's instead of going back and editing my previous comment), have you read The Invention of Wings? Interesting historical fiction about a southern woman who was an early abolitionist and feminist.
Oh, and I'm done with my rambling comment now.