
Before moving on to anything else, I want to say thank you for reading this. It’s not much at the moment but it’s the first planted seed in what I hope to become a garden. I have a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree from Michigan State University. When I graduated last year, I wasn’t sure what to do next. It seems like the world opens and closes at the same time. A 17 year era of consistency and scheduling ended leaving me at this point.
As much as I dislike to admit it, I see myself as a product of my generation as much as any of my friends or people I see on TV. My act of making this blog in the first place, I think, solidifies that. I can’t imagine my grandparents’ or my parents’ generations deciding to air their indecisiveness to the world. Yet, here I am a millennial to the world and to myself. So once again, thank you for reading this far. Most posts will not be similar to this. I believe, though, as the first post, this should be somewhat introductory and reflective–both to myself and to my generation.
Besides as a seed in the aforementioned garden, I hope this blog can spark self-reflection and conversations. So often we hear “start a dialogue” after any type of questionable action either succeeds or fails. This seems to ring extra true lately when we’ve seen Colin Kaepernick’s well-publicized national anthem protest leave him jobless and LeBron James’ LA home spray painted with the n-word.
In both cases, these athletes used the media frenzy to start a dialogue–a conversation if you will–designed to address the major social issues that led to their situations. Though well-meaning and more than likely much-needed, the idea of starting a dialogue makes me wonder. As a result, a few select questions enter my mind. They may or may not have an answer–one most likely isn’t necessary. I will write more about this in future posts.
For now, however, those questions are:
- Are we ready for a dialogue?
- Are the words “dialogue” or “conversation” used sincerely?
- Does the conversation already exist and, if so, does this add to it or advance it at all?
- Who are we conversing with?
More to come in the future as I explore these questions, the idea of starting a dialogue and as I find my voice and focus within these lines.
