Today I caught myself hating a debate running in our local news paper. I simply didn't like that particular person. I researched the subject and found out he was right. It sucked!
It gave me the idea of this post. Because I came to the conclusion that sometimes; stories do harm, even if it wasn't what the story teller intended. Because, the stories someone seems to not care about, does often get in the way of people stepping forward as an activist. That doesn't mean story tellers wants to do harm. They are actually people that wants to do good, like me. And you. We are usually passionate and sympathic people.
Sometimes you don't like the story teller, and as a biproduct you don't care about them or feel morally obligated to undertake yourself the person's advice. We are human. But actually, you don't have to like someone to recognize their understanding. And you don't have to like someone to stand by their side.
Let me get one thing straight. We all have stories to share and we want to enlighten the community we are partaking in, with our knownledge and beliefs. Wether you are here for social reasons, political, economic or environmental. It doesnt matter. We want to influence. Story telling and reading can give a boost of energy, making us feel like we have participated in the change. But it doesn't necesseraly make the world better. It may sometimes only create the illusion of it.
We have to think about how to incorporate what we write and what we read into our lives, and step forward on what we learn. It doesn't change much if you write about legalizing medical marijuana, but don't befriend a law maker. And it doesn't change much if we are too comitted to the platforms we are using, and forget to turn off our screens and walk into the real world. We need to step out beyond what feels safe.
For those who are wondering: I added the mentioned politican on facebook, and sent him a thank you note for being an activist. And we ended up sharing mutual stories. And hopefully this is not the end of our story. And I hope to see more people sharing their stories. So again dear lurkers: ready set go! Step out.
Let me know your questions in the comments. Remember! Love your fellow Steemians ♥