Awaken Apathy?

 Confession: Mom, don’t read this. When I was in college, I sat out an election. Despite my mother’s begging me to make sure I was registered for the absentee ballot and all that, I just didn’t care enough to put the stamp on the envelope and walk it over to the mailroom.

I’m not proud of that.


Another confession: Mom, really, don’t read this. When the LA riots happened back in the 90s— the last time martial law was called— it didn’t really affect me. At the time, I thought what happened there was “city people stuff” and apart from my life. Sure I was interested in the fall of the USSR and the newly discovered atmosphere on Pluto, but Californians fighting for their rights just wasn’t on my radar.
I’m also not proud of that.
However, I’m realizing, with horror, that I used to be normal in that regard. (Only in that regard.)
Most people don’t care. Most people don’t watch each law case as it goes up the chain of appeals. Most people don’t stay up late at night wondering if it’s more like 1933 or 1938. Most people are more interested in what’s happening in their own neighborhoods than what is happening in the greater world.
My Facebook bubble is, for the most part, different. When I posted “who’s going tomorrow?” most of you knew what I was asking about, and many of you said you were going to the protest, too.
On the other hand, when I’ve spoken with friends and colleagues, I’ve gotten the most startling responses. “What are you protesting?” “That sounds boring.” “Can’t you ever rest? I’ll be watching Netflix.”
I’m trying to reach back to my college self and figure out what made me apathetic and how I shifted away from that. I’m also trying to use that to understand the majority’s apathy.
In time, if bad goes to worse (as I believe it is likely to), their apathy may crack. It will be the rising prices, the lost jobs, the violence on the street, the loss of freedoms that might wake them.
I just want to know how to awaken apathy before it gets to that point.
PS, Mom, I know you’ve read this. Sorry!

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