I was reminded the other day of a post I had written for Elephant Journal in 2014, called "The Year of New Traditions." It basically outlined in no uncertain terms that I would not be making resolutions for the New Year, but New Traditions. The new tradition I wrote about was making every unpleasant situation more entertaining.
By way of example, I wrote about getting my hair put up in a beehive and having tons of purple eyeshadow layered on to my face before heading over to the DMV to get my photo took. I did other equally victorious things that year, but generally speaking, that tradition of experiential improvement has held strong, and rest assured, has carried me forward to this very day.
Then came 2016. What a year. What the fuck. So much that I was pretty sure we had was lost. Things like common fucking decency. So I am making 2017 The year of the Revolution.
My 2017 is going to be chock full of shit I have never done before. Why? Because I am going to die someday and I would like to get there knowing that I did my damndest to improve things before I left. And maybe not with the concern that I might have made shit worse.
On a small scale, I have already learned a new hand skill, and I am once again committing to being trained properly in the fine art of submission. I tell ya, the person who can successfully get me to submit will be quite the strong-willed mother fucker.
On a much larger scale, I have already taken steps to combat the dominant beauty paradigm and replace the patriarchal hierarchy that keep the common woman (and man) down.
What does this mean for you? Why should you care? That is one question I promise never to answer again...as part of my Year of the Revolution. In actuality, I am only hoping to inspire you to do shit this next year that will not only change you, but change the mother fucking world.
This is in some way a win/win situation in that I really don't have to give you any examples of how much needs changing. There are plenty of examples. Just google 2016 and see what comes up. I am sure you will see a million "top ten shittiest things of 2016" articles pop up. In fact, after I write this, I might just go ahead and throw my hat in the ring and write one of those.
The other thing The Year of The Revolution will see is that I am going to be standing up for way more people who need it. And A LOT of people need it. I will also be speaking out more against injustice and trying as hard as I can to make the people attempting to oppress and manipulate the masses look like fools. I am thinking it wont take much.
I will be revolutionizing so much shit it will most likely be challenging to keep up, even for me.
But it must be done. We have lost so much this year, and I can't help but think it is because we needed to make room. Make room for the good shit that we must create to replace it. It is our job, my job, to create more good shit. So as the old ways crumble, as those in power slowly lose their grip on the general populous, I will be there, waiting to fill in the void with love, flowers, butterflies and god damned rainbows. I will be there to replace the wretched stank of greed and corruption with compassion and community. I will be there to bring hope where there was none. I will be the bringer of light.
If you are thinking this sounds crazy, I understand. But consider for just a moment that it may be even crazier for me to sit back and see what happens; crazier for me to do nothing at all about it, or even worse, keep doing what I have always done.
The crazy is not in the thinking I can change the world. The actual crazy is in the not trying.
So look out, 2017. More good shit, coming right up.
By way of example, I wrote about getting my hair put up in a beehive and having tons of purple eyeshadow layered on to my face before heading over to the DMV to get my photo took. I did other equally victorious things that year, but generally speaking, that tradition of experiential improvement has held strong, and rest assured, has carried me forward to this very day.
Then came 2016. What a year. What the fuck. So much that I was pretty sure we had was lost. Things like common fucking decency. So I am making 2017 The year of the Revolution.
My 2017 is going to be chock full of shit I have never done before. Why? Because I am going to die someday and I would like to get there knowing that I did my damndest to improve things before I left. And maybe not with the concern that I might have made shit worse.
On a small scale, I have already learned a new hand skill, and I am once again committing to being trained properly in the fine art of submission. I tell ya, the person who can successfully get me to submit will be quite the strong-willed mother fucker.
On a much larger scale, I have already taken steps to combat the dominant beauty paradigm and replace the patriarchal hierarchy that keep the common woman (and man) down.
What does this mean for you? Why should you care? That is one question I promise never to answer again...as part of my Year of the Revolution. In actuality, I am only hoping to inspire you to do shit this next year that will not only change you, but change the mother fucking world.
This is in some way a win/win situation in that I really don't have to give you any examples of how much needs changing. There are plenty of examples. Just google 2016 and see what comes up. I am sure you will see a million "top ten shittiest things of 2016" articles pop up. In fact, after I write this, I might just go ahead and throw my hat in the ring and write one of those.
The other thing The Year of The Revolution will see is that I am going to be standing up for way more people who need it. And A LOT of people need it. I will also be speaking out more against injustice and trying as hard as I can to make the people attempting to oppress and manipulate the masses look like fools. I am thinking it wont take much.
I will be revolutionizing so much shit it will most likely be challenging to keep up, even for me.
But it must be done. We have lost so much this year, and I can't help but think it is because we needed to make room. Make room for the good shit that we must create to replace it. It is our job, my job, to create more good shit. So as the old ways crumble, as those in power slowly lose their grip on the general populous, I will be there, waiting to fill in the void with love, flowers, butterflies and god damned rainbows. I will be there to replace the wretched stank of greed and corruption with compassion and community. I will be there to bring hope where there was none. I will be the bringer of light.
If you are thinking this sounds crazy, I understand. But consider for just a moment that it may be even crazier for me to sit back and see what happens; crazier for me to do nothing at all about it, or even worse, keep doing what I have always done.
The crazy is not in the thinking I can change the world. The actual crazy is in the not trying.
So look out, 2017. More good shit, coming right up.
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