If you've ever watched Max and Ruby you recognize my title. Of course you need to say it with bit of a sigh. I have a little brother, actually two. And they're not so little, they're both taller than me and despite their freakish height they're pretty awesome. I was texting the bro that's 3 years younger than me and I was chastising him for the usual stuff like why he never calls/ visits/ consults me for every decision he's ever made when he said something that made me think. He told that me that because I have a blog that more than one person reads (I hope) I need to be more aware of social and political issues and write about how they affect my life. And as much as it hurts to admit this, I think he's right. But here's the problem, I'm not a news junkie, I don't follow politics, that's just not me. Is that wrong? I admit I do need to be more aware of issues that affect my life but I don't have any desire to turn this forum into a political site.
I'm a mom. I write about my kids, the weird stuff they say and what it's like trying to raise a family in this crazy world we live in. I don't dwell on the negative and believe me when I say that there's A LOT of negative because, well, I don't like to. I would rather talk and write about the good things in my life and what we're doing to make them good. That's who I am.
But....
I do want to be more involved in the world around me so I am going to figure out a way to learn about some of the issues that my communitiy is facing and discover how to involve my family in changing things for the better. Does anyone have any suggestions? What do you do to involve your family in the world around you? How do you use your voice for good?
I guess punk brothers are useful.
Love, Kristen
Wow that is an interesting and insightful perspective from your little bro! :) I personally love politics so I follow it closely. I do so via political blogs, the news on TV, and stuff like that. I used to blog about politics quite a bit but frankly, it definitely polarizes, so you have to be willing to deal with that. But given that I have 56 followers, clearly I don't care. LOL.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I'm not sure I answered your questions and I am definitely not sure I use my voice for good. I do plan on becoming active in the 2012 presidential race by volunteering however. Oh yeah, and Im' also on a parcel tax oversight committee for the school district. My kids aren't obviously involved in either of these, but they're young and as they get older I will figure out ways to get them involved in things that are important to us.
You can talk (I mean blog) about how community happenings affect your family. Like if there was a new 50% city sales tax on diapers that were purchased in bulk, How would that affect you? You don't have to blog about politics, just about what you can do to adapt to changing circumstances.
ReplyDeleteAnd as for that pesky brother of yours, he sounds smart and good looking. I bet his wife is quite a catch too. Maybe you should listen to what else he has to say...
You don't have to run for mayor...yet, and you don't have to feel guilty about it. Look for things that would be a natural extension of what you're already doing. Maybe get involved in your kid's school PTO. Maybe notice a need in your neighborhood or street and work to meet that need. You can run for mayor when you don't have a houseful of very young children. Until then, give yourself credit for raising four responsible citizens. The first five years are so intense, so time-consuming. You'll have more time in the next stage of life. Take a deep breath. You're OK.
ReplyDeleteDiana