good-bye

see you later

The power of the word — written or spoken — is invaluable. Yet words are hollow if not acted upon. Love is a verb. This is one of my favorite sayings. You can say you love me all you want, but if you do not show me this love through your actions, how can I believe you?

Condemnation in the strongest terms means nothing. Opposing atrocities yet not taking any action is empty sentiment.

I have been speechless for some time. Genocide has reshaped my whole being. I don’t know who I am becoming. I do know who I am no longer. I am no longer someone who tolerates empty hollow words.

If you stand up for Palestine — then you need to stand up for Palestinians.

If you stand up for human rights — then you need to stand up for ALL human rights.

If you stand for dignity and respect — you got to treat others with dignity and respect.

I’ve never believed in human rights. I believe in human responsibilities. If we lived in an equal and just world, I would consider believing and advocating for human rights.

The society and culture I live in is entitled beyond my comprehension. People around me think they have the rights to have everything they have, while others don’t. I don’t think people equate what they have with what others don’t have, but I do.

A few years ago, I was playing volleyball at the beach with a group of people. There had been a storm which cut off the electricity in the area for a few hours and perhaps up to a day. I said to one guy that it’s good for us to lose our luxuries and be reminded what so many in the world live without. In a mild way, he snarled at me and rolled his eyes.

I imagine he thought he has a human right to have electricity. To have water. To have safety. To have — all that he has. I imagine many people think this way.

Like I said, I believe in human responsibility.

I have lived in a small town in the mountains for over 10 years. At first, I loved the slow pace of life here. I loved how lush and beautiful this place was. My original sense of this place has faded. Now I feel like the sense of security, of safety, of beauty, is yet another distraction from our responsibilities as humans.

Or maybe it’s this western paradigm I find myself in. This individual mindset that is a total hoax. Deception is the flavor of individualism. It’s like when you hear someone say they’re self-taught or self-made. I say this at times, and I am deceiving myself. If it wasn’t for all that I have been given, from the love of my mother, to the wind that fills my lungs, to the water that hydrates my bones, to the ideas that nourish my mind, I wouldn’t be here, as I am.

I am done choosing to deceive myself.

So I am choosing to move — away from this place. Towards who I am becoming. Towards my responsibilities as a human. Into the unknown. Into trust. Into a life I will be proud of living.

If you’d like to connect before I move, I will be at:

Art Walk: Snake & Horse Vintage. August 1st.

Nelson International Mural Festival. August 9th.

Then I drive across the country to Montreal.

I will return for:

East & West Kootenays Duo Book Launch Tour with Smokii Sumac. October 16-26.

Good-bye — see you later.