In the past, I've been told to 'chill' when I've raised concerns about the place we call home.
To illustrate, here is a story we all know all too well. My parents decided many years ago that their chosen city would be most livable after they retired. The only place it actually is livable today is the paper declaring it so. The truth is, stamped paper is a far cry from reality.
Our urban walking dreams often include walking around in our part of the city, not necessarily as an escape, but just to take care of ourselves. For us to accomplish this, we must deal with a million elements, some of which should not even be there. As long as we have exactly a foot of space from side to side, we can avoid being hospitalized. It would seem that at least the people in cars have an easier time. However, that is not true either. Instead, they are driving on streets that appear to have been significantly damaged by an earthquake or overrun by some sort of animal invasion. We keep going and say, "Where we are going, there are no roads!" *wink*
All jokes aside, loving where you live is synonymous with ignorance, somehow. What brought us here? Why is it okay that we can't walk on the street without risking our life? Why must we purchase a vehicle just to travel a kilometre distance since walking is not an option? Why are we forced to compromise our travel quality just to take the limited public transport? When did all these factors become the norm?
As a country, we have a multibillion-dollar waste management industry. We still strew garbage all over our streets like it's a natural part of the urban scene. Packet tossers are likely to travel overseas and learn to separate waste based on colour. Their wrappers are either thrown onto the road when they return home or into a pile of garbage that formerly looked like a container. However, our standard response is that it's fine. It is like this here.
After all, this strewn about garbage is all the fuel you'll ever need for the future DeLoreans.
Should one person fall out of the spell that some call loyalty, we are supposed to love our country more? Regardless, it is sad that we are loyal only when there is no burden to carry. Feelings of loyalty are triggered by someone telling us that we are not doing our bit.
Let me ask you one concern: If you love your home, is there nothing we could do to improve it? Sadly, we don't care enough to do even the slightest thing and turn the question around. In most cases, our voices achieve little more than reaction, which rarely causes any actual change.
Words do not change the world, but actions do. Now it has become this dysfunctional relationship where we are only passionate about our home enough to tweet about what's wrong with it, use stock images to show other pretty homes but not enough to go out and improve it. We are all responsible for this.
The love for our home speaks for itself when we strive a little harder for it, without resorting to justifications like loyalty. It all comes down to changing your mindset to a growth mindset. We do not have to shield our inaction with loyalty when we act with passion.
Finally, I want to remind everyone who tells me to relax: I am motivated by changing the way we think. Don't mix the two.
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