***stardust

..reality *and* disillusionment *both* suck, Laur...*wry grin*

It's... I ran into that, too, last year. I *wanted* to do stuff..'course, *my* interests were pulled in a thousand different directions, too, so I'll take some of the blame...but Amnesty? I *really* wanted to get us doing that, cos I really believe in it, and, I mean, c'mon, it's even very, very simple.
..this's why I'm so glad there's an active chapter here - *I* don't have to worry about starting it this time, it'll get - already *has* gotten - someplace. Which's awesome.

...but yeah...reality, disillusionment, and *apathy*, actually. It's apathy that's the problem, really...no-one *cares*. And it's not always the individual's fault - think about the system they've put us in. All through school, particularly high school, why does *anyone* strive for decent grades and go out for things? Cos "it looks better"..."it'll look good on my college application"...I'm sorry, but *fuck* the system. [*feels like Bono*.."fuck the revolution!"] Seriously. *Yes*, it looks good, theoretically, *yes*, it'll get you into a better school...but c'mon. If you're not doing it because you *want* to, because you think *you'll* benefit, *others* will benefit...then why the hell're you *doing* it??? It's just...not *logical*, even! (And logic's the most basic reasoning there..) I just don't understand it. You don't join up with a volunteer group if you don't want to help people, you'll only be a distraction.

Yeah, it was back in my junior year, I remember making up fliers that asked, in large text, "Want to help save the world?", asked if anyone was interested in being an advisor for a volunteer-oriented club, gave a few examples of things we were interested in, Amnesty Int'l and whatnot...Daf, Laur and I went to the main office and estimated the number of teacher mailboxes, then ran off a couple hundred copies, and shoved them in all the teachers' mailboxes. And stuck one more up on the bulletin board for emphasis.
Some time went by, finally we got Ms. Zicari...and we decided to make ourselves the Leo Club - that way, we already had a structure to work in, and help if we needed it, etc.
Well...we had about three members for most of that year. And we really didn't do a whole lot...but then, we were a bit limited. But...I really enjoyed that year. We had some *great* discussions those Friday afternoons...and that's when we started sponsering Samweli, wasn't it guys? (*remembering the other option we had to buy animals for families..* *laugh*)
...and last year, yeah, we got an actual Leo Club going, with Mrs. Fleming (since Ms. Zicari left...which was really sad..). And, well, we got some more accomplished, anyway. But...I think it was the *mood* the first year that was better. A small group of relatively open-minded people, who just had this *desire* to help.
That was kinda missing last year.
Sounds like it's the same this year...

I don't know. As I just said to Laur, apathy reigns...what can we do? ...we can try...and we can keep trying to do things on our own, but it's so much easier when you've got more people to help.....but...no-one *sees* the starving, the dying, the suffering, on their doorsteps.
All they see is there's a new playstation game they wanna buy...

(and it sucks, cos I'm guilty of the same, maybe to a slightly lesser degree, but...blah. that's another rant. *wry grin*)

*Ananda Daydream * 7:32 PM * *

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