Viewing Thread:
"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.

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
>
> 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.

My parents taught for the best part of their lifes, toiled for 18 hours a day on screaming little brats who thought of nothing better than how they could mess up teachers day or make them feel worse. They both had nervous breakdowns because of their jobs, and my Dad was accused of assaulting a boy which he never did, but it almost went to court.

So don't tell me that all teachers think they're better than the kids they teach. That's a blanket statement which I take offence to.

Rosalind wrote:
> The whole tone of the post is what made me think that you think
> you've done something which elevates you above the rest of us.

I didn't get that impression.

I refuse to work with or for a bank.

It's not happening. EVER.

Bloody hell Goaty! Thats excellent!

Both my parents have done teaching and they got and get (one is a politician now) a lot out of it.

Good choice. Very good choice.

> Show me the part of my original post where I say anything about other
> people's jobs.

The whole tone of the post is what made me think that you think you've done something which elevates you above the rest of us. Including the title. "So what did you do today?"

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

Teachers always annoyed me, they all think they are better/more important than the kids they teach. They aren't.

Mr Snuggly wrote:
Teaching takes it out of you in the long run
> though, both of my parents were teachers for about 25 years each I
> think and it almost killed them.
--

Oh I have no delusions about how difficult it's going to be.
But if I don't try then I'll never know if I could've done anything.

Besides, there are thousands of monkeyjobs around if I can't hack it afterwards.

Rosalind wrote:
but don't assume there aren't
> any other people here who do a job on a crappy wage, because they
> think it has worth. I'm proud of what I do.
---

Show me the part of my original post where I say anything about other people's jobs.

Impressive. Well done. Teaching takes it out of you in the long run though, both of my parents were teachers for about 25 years each I think and it almost killed them.

To be honest Ros, I couldn't care less what anyone else does.
These are my views, filtered through my eyes and my life.
The job I have quit is meaningless, and I can't do it anymore.