sporadic (and colorful!) thoughts

right now i can't tell if i'm excited, nervous, or just had too much coffee. i have no more excuses to be angry or hopeless about my own life because i have the power to control it, or the power to let go and let anything happen. no one is better qualified to tell me how to live my life than me. this doesn't mean i can't choose to learn things from other people, but the thing is--those people are......people. same as me.
it's liberating to realize that we are inherently free. freedom isn't something that's deserved, earned, fought for, or given. it's simply what all humans and all things are. then small groups of men emerge in many countries, decide that they should have the power to dictate everyone else's lives, and justify it through "moral" codes and social norms that are really nothing but tactics of the few to control the many.
then one day you realize that's all that governments are. it's not the only way to live. it's not automatically right. it's not composed of people who are better than you--or for that matter even care about you. it is something that exists only to keep itself in power by "solving" the problems that it creates, over and over. now you can begin to live how you want. you can begin to make your own choices. more importantly, you can finally see that the "choice" between Hot Topic and Hollister is no choice at all when a world exists outside the mall. the "choice" between Republicans and Democrats is no choice when endless possiblilities exist outside the system. unfortunately, some people defend the very system and society that oppresses them because they are indoctrinated to believe that destruction of the mall or the system means destruction of their "freedom" and "choices." of course those with money and power don't want you to believe you can create a new way of life and (truly) think for yourself! but you can! there is no reason we shouldn't try to create self-sustaining non-hierarchical communities. imagine actually making your own food, clothes, homes. or knowing the person you get them from! imagine operating and resolving conflicts like a group of friends or neighbors would. you can argue all the potential flaws of this revolutionary idea, but every way of life has flaws. (especially our current one.) this isn't about a utopia. this is about building a compassionate community that distributes power more evenly so people would have less reason to turn to crime and violence. and when people do turn to destructive means, this is about having a consensus, a true "democracy" on how to deal with that individual.
look, we (myself included) can all talk history and philosophy and propaganda inside our little bubbles. ok, that's fine. but what's important is breaking out of that bubble, taking action in whatever way works for you to create a better society, and living the way your gut knows is right for you. maybe that means dumpster-diving, maybe that means community-gardening, maybe that means laying on the grass instead of watching TV. whatever it is, you'll know.