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"So what did you do today?"

You know the score. Wake up, go to work/school. Talk about games/tv shows/movies and then went home, played a game/read a book and went to bed.
That used to be me as well, until I started taking an interest in the world around me. Getting involved in protest, civil disobedience, writing to MPs, trying to do something to change what I percieve to be an unjust, corrupt, inherently stupid society.
I've had endless arguments on here with people about war/politics/life and then it hit me.

I realised that there was no point discussing how to change life with people over the internet. Especially arguing moralistic issues with people that do nothing except write messages and preen like self-satisfied peacocks.

And I was just as bad.
I've raged against stupidity/television/illiteracy amongst young users with txt speak/general monginess of most people/lack of interest in the world.
And I went home to read/play video games and that was about it.
Come to work, post crap here about why the world sucks, smoke and tell rubbish jokes.
And then it hit me.
Despite my words here, despite arguing with Bell etc about how to change this planet, despite writing to try and affect change around me, trying to bring immoral and unjust situations to people's attentions, I still come to work, drink my coffee, smoke and stare out of the window.
And then it hit me.
I wasn't actually doing anything to change my world.

So I did. I carefully considered everything around me. My values, what I percieved as an idiot morass of people not interested in anything except their own homes. People stupid enough to read The Daily Mail and actually believe the hateful scaremongering they read inside. People stupid enough to think immigration is actually an issue instead of a smokescreen designed to keep you frightened and locked inside watching Eastenders.

I reached a point in my life, a convergence of emotions that forced me to re-evaluate my life. How I see things, what I believe in, how I feel about the things around me.
And it didn't sit well with me.
Despite my passion, despite my morals, despite my beliefs, I come to a nice boring job, create marketing presentations and sell stuff.
I sell things people don't need to make more money for people to spend on themselves.
That is not the way I wish to live my life, I cannot allow myself to wallow in self-important comfortableness, surrounded with nice shiny things and pontificate about the world around me.

It didn't feel right, I couldn't balance being aware of things wrong around me, yet continue to pursue my nice comfortable life and, ultimately, do nothing to affect change.

So what did I do yesterday?
I quit my job.
Handed my notice in and made choices that will make me feel like a better person.
I quit my boring, stupid marketing job and I'm going to teacher-training college to teach English.
I can't just sit by and watch this world deteriorate into a mindless scrum of tv-obsessed me-monkeys that think Shakespeare is "crap innit", think txt speak is acceptable, have no idea who Keats is, are unaware of the power of words and language.

I want to try, even if just one kid, to get them to realise they have entire worlds of imagination and passion inside them if they want to access it.
I want to get across to people that life is more than television/mortgages/soap operas/pop idol/heat magazine/tony blair.

I may fall on my ass, I may get tired of trying to do something positive but goddamnit, at least I'm going to try to do something.
I don't want a job where I sell useless products to people, I dont want a job that doesn't challenge me in any aspect whatsoever.
I don't want to argue morals with people that are unwilling to put their thoughts into action.

I've quit my nice job after 3 and a half years and, instead, I'm going to be a teacher.
Today is one of the most frightning/exciting days I can remember.
4 weeks left of meaningless work, then 2 years+ of learning/exams before I can tell myself that, finally, I'm doing more than trying to convince other people that there is more out there.

May be the best thing I've ever done, may be the biggest mistake I've ever made.
I'll let you know when I come out the other side. But one thing I do know?
I've had enough of sitting on my ass preaching about trying to change the world instead of actually getting out there and doing it.

There it is.

Goatboy wrote:

> I seek validation from nobody.

Why have you posted this topic then.

Rosalind wrote:
> Actually, you are best
----

Yes.
Yes I am. Why? Because instead of ranting to people here about life, the universe and everything, I've decided to do what I can, in the way I feel best suited to, to try and affect change.

*shrugs*
I seek validation from nobody.
I have chucked away a dossy, well-paid nothing job because I just can't bring myself to do that anymore.
I'm proud of me, I'm aware of the crap involved in it. Whether a name on a screen cares or thinks I'm being mean?

Boo. Hoo.

Deal with your anger issues elsewhere, because I'm not interested

Mr Snuggly wrote:
> Wow, IB just solved the universe.

You just have no leadership qualities whatsoever, do you?

Rosalind wrote:
> I'm sure that there are good teachers out there, but I also think
> teaching is an easy target for people who like power trips.
---

Easy target?
Sh#t wages, long hours, battling against people that dont want to learn?

Jesus, and you criticise me for tarring people with the same brush?

Actually, you are best

Rosalind wrote:
> Teaching is a fantastic job for people who like to be in a position
> where its easy to make believe they are better than other people
-------

You stupid, stupid person.

Teaching is a fantastic job for people who want to try and educate, to try and help young people to appreciate the world around them.
Teaching is a fantastic job for people who go into a profession knowing full well that they will not be appreciated fully, yet do so because they feel they want to try and raise awareness/equip somebody, even one person, with knowledge that will allow them to possibly change the world.

"So what did you do today" was what I asked myself continually since I settled for crap jobs.
This post was to me, about me, trying to explain why I've willingly accepted I'll be earning zero for 2-3 years whilst I study.
Trying to convey a life-changing decision that I have made.

Not to sneer at anyone else.
So take your indignant howls elsewhere.

Wow, IB just solved the universe.

Mr Snuggly wrote:

> Teachers always annoyed me, they all think they are better/more
> important than the kids they teach. They aren't.
>
> So you're having a go at Goaty for 'tarring people with the same
> brush' then you say ALL teachers think they're 'better' than the
> kids they teach? That's called hypocrisy madam.

I can only talk from experiances with my own teachers. I haven't had any good ones.

I'm sure that there are good teachers out there, but I also think teaching is an easy target for people who like power trips.

So, after a few years of trying - and ultimately failing - to impose your own brand of judgemental misanthropy and heavy handed cynicism on a bunch of internet savvy schoolchildren, you've instead decided to influence the same children in an environment where they have far more control over you than you do over them.

Sure, you have guts for making the decision to "try to do something", and I applaud that, but if you think your going to make a difference - and it seems you have your doubts yourself - then you're likely mistaken. And personally, if I felt as passionate about world apathy as you did, I would try to reach more people in a more effective way than that which you yourself have chosen.

Personally, the most I've ever done to combat the wave of ignorance is send off a few letters to places like the firefighter's union, the Icelandic Embassy and Birdseye. But just as you will come to recognise that your "alternative classroom teachings" fall on deaf ears, so too do I understand that my efforts go largely ignored.

I'm sure there is more that I can do, and I don't doubt that education IS the key to effecting real change, but it has to be on a grander scale than one man pishing into wind, and the change needs to happen at a higher level, and not only in the classroom, but also in the home. Change needs to happen to alter the way THIS generation thinks, otherwise the parental overspill will ultimately effect future generations.

But anyway, good luck with your endeavours, and here's to hoping that you CAN at least point one or two kids down a different path.

"So what did you do today?

You know the score. Wake up, go to work/school. Talk about games/tv shows/movies and then went home, played a game/read a book and went to bed.
That used to be me as well"

as well?

as well as who exactly?