Recently, a discussion in an ethics class I took last semester turned toward the concept of awareness. In this context, I meant awareness to the extent of using one's voice to make a difference, either large-scale or small-scale, and believing in one's capacity to instigate change. I unexpectedly found myself in the minority supporting the idea of awareness, completely dumbfounded as to why some people thought of it as, in some ways, a cop-out or a waste of energy not even worth pursuing. Because I already had a major inferiority complex in this class, I got defensive, feeling the need to validate my position that awareness is a crucial part of bringing about change. Thankfully, the end of class saw the end of my feelings of awkwardness and insecurity. However, the idea hasn't left me alone since. The question still rings in my head: why do I believe in awareness?
For me, it's simple. The reason why I believe in awareness comes from the very core of who I am: I believe in words. I believe in stories. I believe that our words and our stories have more power than we can begin to fathom. While words aren't going to bring an end to domestic violence or sex trafficking or the stigmatization of mental illness--all causes that are really important to me--they start a conversation. Change doesn't just happen. You can't snap your fingers and expect all of the world's problems to be solved (as much as you wish you could). No, change is a slow, gradual process. That process, more often than not, begins with a conversation. It begins by shedding light on a problem. A problem that you, on your own, may or may not have the ability to fix. I don't have all of the answers as to why domestic violence happens, or why there are women who are forced to sell their bodies, or why people who struggle with depression, anxiety, or any other mental illness are still seen as weak. All I have is my voice and my story.
There are days where I don't feel like that's enough. There are days where I look at the world and feel a heaviness in my spirit because this world is so broken. There are days where I feel like the world is going to hell in a handbasket. Those days are the days I have to believe in hope. I have to believe that what I am doing matters. All the questions of "What does your shirt mean?" or "Why don't you shut up about _____?" are creating a dialogue. While words and stories aren't the end, they're a place to begin. A professor I know and appreciate a lot said it best, I believe: "The starting place is the place where you are when you start." I take that as an invitation to start where you are with what you have. If you have the means to actively do something about a problem, by all means do it. I'm not knocking being proactive. I just know that,where I am in life in some ways limits what I can do. One day, I have a dream of working on the front lines to fight human trafficking, either abroad or in the US. That doesn't necessarily fit into where I am in life right now. Until then, I'll use my voice, my words, to fight the battle.
I'll leave you with this lyric from "Fight Song" from Rachel Platten: "I may only have one match, but I can make an explosion."
Your voice matters. Use it well.
