For those who know me, you are all probably thinking, wow Deb, it is about time! For those who do not know me that well, disclosure, I am not the most political person. I am also not the kind of person who speaks her opinion about current events. I was always kind of neutral since I thought neutrality would keep peace amongst the people in my life. Growing up I always stirred cleared of that kind of stuff. I would block it out, thinking "everything will work out eventually". Well, it is 2018 now and nothing is working out.

I just turned 21 and it took me this long for my brain to finally wake up to what is around me. I was constantly focused on what I personally needed to get done, I believed I did not have time to watch the news, think about what is happening in Flint, Michigan, The Parkland Shooting out in Florida or even about gentrification in my own backyard.

I thank my boyfriend for opening me up to not being so ignorant. Ignorant is not bliss. I repeat ignorant is not bliss. I used to get around with just shrugging my shoulders about what is clearing important. I would only read stories that were funny or "soft pieces". I grew up in an area where I could easily push the world away and still feel okay. Now I am watching the news almost every day, I am asking questions when I need to. I am also understanding that ignoring is not going to make our problems go away. If anything, it would make things worse because then there would be a person who will try to do tasks, we don't agree with under our noses.

As a writer, I feel a little disappointed in myself because I should have known. I want to be a teller, to inform my audience of things I have learned. Yet, the most earth-shattering things that come up on my radar, I don't speak about. Why? Maybe it is because I am afraid of what people may think. Maybe it is because with all this negative talk it triggers more to my own anxiety and depression. Quite possibly it is because I do not want to believe that the world is like this.

I don't want to live in a world where every other celebrity has been accused of sexual assault, and worse, found guilty. I don't want to live in a world where we have "progressed" in a society of everyone being equal yet, prejudice and racism are still clearly alive, even with our president. I don't want to live in a world where just because I am a woman, I cannot do certain things, or I am expected to do other things. I don't want to live in a world where people I know are afraid to come out about their own sexual orientation because of what their parents think or of what the world thinks.

I don't want my children to a live in a world where my government could take away someone's child.

I am done playing the innocent girl. I am done speaking softly or not at all. I am done, and you should be too. The generation that I live in and the ones that follow are speaking volumes because they are fed up with what our world is coming to. Have the difficult conversations with people. Vote on the issues, all of the issues. Just vote in general. Don't be the person who does not vote because they don't have the time or they don't know the candidates/issues. Make the effort! Research before you gives an opinion. KNOW ALL THE FACTS. I think that was one of the more bigger challenges that I had. I thought because I did not believe I knew everything about that given topic, I should not speak. But I was wrong, I go to a proud liberal arts institution where I meet so many different people and learn so much from them. So I might as well start today.

Dystopian movies about tension building and chaotic destruction are beginning to become our real possible future, people. So we need to wake-up and join our movements before it is too late.

That also includes me.