A different sort of recycling

[pecunium]

Lest one burn out, suffer, "outrage fatigue" [or as anton_p_nym suggests in comments, "courage fatigue" with which I have, at times, wrestled] or just generally lose the spark of active engagement (and no, this isn't directed at anyone). I was reminded of a post matociquala wrote a few years ago.

How to Change the World

I'm tired of facile cynicism. I'm especially tired of the defensive species of facile cynicism in which the cynic finds it necessary to attack or dismiss anybody who is trying to make a difference.

And make no mistake; it is a self-defense mechanism. If you don't reach you cannot fall. It's true. And if you don't fall, you won't get hurt. And you'll never have to make a hard decision between two choices that suck.

Comfortable. Safe.

But I can tell you how to change the world.

Comments

[pnkrokhockeymom.livejournal.com]

Oh but it fits me today! I overloaded. I'm almost better. I'll be ready to attack injustice again tomorrow, I think.

It just makes me tired, how much I'm loathed for my gender, that's all.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

I confess, as I was making the intro, I realised you might think I was trying to buck you up, or something.

Someone else, actually, was trying to do that for me (been a rough week for my sense of all sorts of things).

[pnkrokhockeymom.livejournal.com]

Well, it is a great recycled post, and it *did* buck me up, some.

Also, what bucks me up? Your posts generally, not just this one. Most (not all, but most) of the misogyny that was driving me crazy this week was being reported to me and torn up! taken down! ripped to shreds! by fabulous people like you, and others. So it's good that we are a community of fighters, because when one of us is a little tired of fighting, someone else picks it up.

[anton-p-nym.livejournal.com]

I appreciate being reminded of matociquala's post... it's been a discouraging time in the blogosphere for me and the temptation to gafiate is rising.

A side note, though; you have a typo in your first line that makes the line ambiguous, and could read either "courage fatigue" or "outrage fatigue". Sadly, I must admit that both apply.

-- Steve will also admit that plain ol' fatigue applies too. Accursed trees and their rampant sexual congress keeping him up at night. (Achoo.)

[pgdudda.livejournal.com]

Allergies? My sympathies. Here, have a "No Tree Bukkake" icon, perfect for this time of year...

[anton-p-nym.livejournal.com]

Here, have a "No Tree Bukkake" icon, perfect for this time of year...

Indeed and it is.

Y'know, it wouldn't have been so bad if the trees had been courteous and let me know they had a hot date last night; I could've dealt with that.^* It's the blatant disregard for all decency, just up and at 'em right there on the lawn, that made it so irritating... even threatening to turn the hose on 'em like they were dogs just made them go at it harder.

Trees have weird kinks.

-- Steve dearly hopes this isn't hijacking pecunium's thread, but badly needed the, er, release.

^*Dealt with that, as I'm dealing with it now; drugs. Sweet, sweet, generic antihistamines... it's just that when you're unconscious it's tough to take them and halt the immune response that's in all probably giving you a nice case of sleep apnea.