Hope
So, I went to Tennessee couple of weekends ago where one of my goals was to hook my father onto Firefly. My easy mission turned out to be a little more difficult than I thought. He liked it enough, but my dad is eerily quiet at times. He said it was okay, more amateur than professional, something he wouldn’t go out to buy, but he liked to watch it. I was like well, it is your Christmas present. I think I had him watch about 4 or 5 episodes: Serenity, Train Job, Jaynestown, War Stories, Out of Gas and end of Shindig (he came in at the end).
I started to get missin’ sick as I call it. It isn’t homesickness, because I like living where I live. I got to wanting to be back in school, but as I watched the boys play, I thought and I give them how much money for having the degree that says I came here? I contemplated how different it was than down here in Georgia, or Augusta, I should say. Augusta is old South, don’t like changes and you are an outsider unless you marry old money, or move to a neighboring community. I been here a total of 7 years now, I own a house, had the same job most of that time and I am still an outsider. I don’t mind so much, I don’t claim to be from this armpit of hell that is only pretty in early April for the Masters Golf Tournament. What I do mind is that even though this is a large city, it is a friggin large city full of slackers. I have talked to co-workers and neighbors and it is all agreed. This town is just raised by slackers, unless the good old boy commission wants something done (or rather the Augusta National Golf Course), then things get done. Oh and a side note, UT beat GA… Blessed day for me after being picked on for so long…. Yes SevenofTn, We rock!!!!!
There are no activities around here. I have been trying to organize Joss Whedon fans for a meet-up; I can’t get enough interest to even hold a meeting. It pisses me off. Why is this? Because they are lazy and by living here, it makes me more lazy by proxy.
I’m rambling to a point and I guess the point could be: I am tired of the “machine”. Angel was right, you can’t take it down, but you if you can stop it for one moment, then you make a stand. You declare yourself. You let it be known what you stand for, what you would fight and die for. The group standing with the rain coming down, that is inspiration. Mostly, we thought it was suicide and for what? Just to make a statement? No, it wasn’t for that. It was for everything they believed in. Everything they had fought for up until that point. It was to show the Senior Partners aka “the machine” that there were still people that would stand up and do what was right, that would keep fighting, because there was hope. Hope will survive and as long as we have that, you cannot stop us from trying to make things better.
It is so easy to get in the routine of nothing, nothing, nothing… after a while, one becomes used to it. We become self-absorbed to the world around us. Focusing too much on us as we walk the streets of our city. There is a lot of things that are going on right under our noses. I myself have often done this. I get so wrapped up in just living day by day, getting up… go to work… go home… do it again tomorrow, that I become a walking case of tunnel vision. That does not help anyone. It blinds to me the real stuff that is going on, that I could make a stand on.
One of my favorite movies is Braveheart. It reminds me of Angel’s last scene so much. The overall theme does, I mean, of course it would be nice to see David and James in kilts, but we don’t get everything we want. Braveheart was all about making a stand. Now granted, all stands do not have to equally into violent bloody deaths. There are some subtle ones that can be done. I know that others and myself have wiped WB from our favorite channels list and no longer watch it. It may seem utterly useless and stupid to some, but to those who did it, it is a gesture of saying I do not like your network or the way it does business. With the election coming up, many of us get to make a stand through voting. Go out and vote. Don’t be a slacker or apathetic, be brave enough to make a stand. Be strong enough to let your voice be heard.
Taking a stand is not an easy thing to do. Usually, it separates you out from the rest of the group. I grew up knowing that taking the stand would sometimes be lonely. It goes, sometimes, against the majority. There are times that others will be silent, because they fear of retribution for speaking up, and will let one person stand up while they come by and say “Good job, I was hoping someone would do something.” It gets lonely out on the limb and, at times, a bit scary.
Ask yourself, is there something that you would take a stand for? Would you be one of those out on the limb? Or one of those silently rooting for them? Is there something that you believe in so much that you would fight and die for? Is there something that you would quit your job because of? Is there something that you would not support a company because of?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, good for you. It isn’t easy. If you said no, then stop and think again. I think you may come up with a yes if you look closer. I have many things that I would take a stand for and have in the past. It has gotten lonely out on that branch and mighty windy, but I don’t regret it. Some of mine: freedom, protection of my loved ones, equality in the workplace… I think those are the safest ones to say here.
I would have to say that I would like to think that if it came down to it, I would be in the alley with Angel, Spike, Illyria and Gunn. Some people saw it as suicide; I see it now as taking a stand for what is right, ensuring that hope will live on.
Illyria: We cling to what is gone. Is there anything in this life but grief?
Wes: There’s love. There’s hope. Some, there’s hope that you’ll find something worthy. That your life will lead you to some joy. That after everything you can still be surprised.
I think that sums it up. Recap: hope is good. It will live on as long as we take a stand for what we believe is what is right. As long as we carry hope within us, it will show “the machine” that you and I are real human beings that have a voice and we are not afraid to use it.
fanofangel: Great piece Aeryn! One way “to have a voice and not be afraid to use it” is VOTE!!!! Hope is sometimes the only thing that keeps people going. May your hope never die.
(22.10.2004, 21:24)
Mr.TrickJr.: Hope springs eternal! I think the most important thing of all is that there are people willing to take a stand. Because that gives the rest of us hope and maybe just enough courage to take a stand ourselves.
(22.10.2004, 14:08)
Fogey: I think you just said Angel & Gang won since nothing the machine could do to them, up to and including their possible death, could bring an end to their struggle for what is right. Angel & Gang are part of an eternal process that will always oppose the machine and prevent its ascension to complete power. Poorly worded but take it as agreement with your article (and disagreement with your Dad about the quality of Firefly LOL).
(22.10.2004, 13:19)