Usually, an opinion column tells you what its author thinks about a specific issue. Whether it’s something happening locally or globally, whether it’s a concrete, single event or an abstract trend involving multiple events, the issue an opinion column confronts is packaged in such a way that the suggested response to the issue is clear.
This time, I do not have an issue any more specific than the idea of transition, and my suggested response is less of a perspective I want people to adopt than a process I think would be useful.
I also do not intend to patronize you by supposing that this column will enlighten you with brand new ideas about how to live your life. That said, even if I’m telling you something you already know, I’m writing this because now is a particularly important time to apply your knowledge.
In the next two months, we face the end of a semester, the end of a calendar year and the end of a presidency. A lot of difficult change is coming in a short period of time, the challenges of which will be best managed proactively.
Our country is indeed in a transitional period where nearly everyone, regardless of political affiliation, seems to be asking, “What do we do now?” One answer might simply be, “Prioritize.”
While we have inexhaustible capacities for curiosity and enthusiasm, other resources such as time and money are frustratingly limited. It is in your best interest to prioritize your passions so you can allocate your physical resources accordingly.
This process of prioritizing does not confine you to the pursuit of a single interest. You can have multiple majors and minors here at school, and you can have multiple careers over the course of your public life.
The point is there is a difference between admiring the impact of ten great organizations that do important work and choosing to join a few of those organizations so that you can help. Focus can take you from appreciation to participation, and your participation will be what shapes this transitional period.
If you care about the education and needs of undocumented immigrants, work with the UndocuHoosier Alliance. If you think Bloomington should welcome refugees or want to be an ally for Muslim Americans, join Bloomington Against Islamophobia. If you worry about the consequences of climate change, support the efforts of Reinvest IU to power our campus with renewable energy.
Of course there are many other options for activism: supporting women’s health with Planned Parenthood, protecting civil rights with the American Civil Liberties Union and preventing bigotry with the Anti-Defamation League, to name a few. The important thing is not to get overwhelmed. It doesn’t matter how you choose — it matters that you choose.
You never have complete control, but you are also never completely helpless. Devoted effort to the causes that move you and the professions that call to you helps to maximize your agency as an individual. You can’t do everything, but you can find a few things that really matter to you and show the world you care.
mareklei@indiana.edu
@foreverfloral97
