I'll keep you company on the Apathetic Couch (oooh, pretty!).

There are causes that, of course, make me upset, make me want to do something for the greater good, etc, etc. But I don't have the time, patience, and sheer guts it takes for them anymore.

I was raped when I was younger. After going through 8 years of counselling, I worked a rape hotline for another 5 years. By then, I was having my own kids and moving on with my life.

I put it aside with the idea that I would get back to it "one day" because I know how important it is.

That day hasn't come. And, as more time passes, I realize, for me, I need to put it aside. Because I relived my own rape during everyone of those calls. And it was okay because it helped in my healing process.

But, now, the idea of doing that again is like digging into a scar.

My friends know and I've counselled friends of friends, daughters of friends, etc. But I can't go back and do it weekly anymore.

So, you wanna cuppa tea as we sit here together?

ani

Guess I'm a little late but I'm here now and have an opinion on this apathy thing: So many people are so vocal about so many things that protests have become so commonplace nobody even notices what they are about. Thus apathy occurs. And yes I am one of those apathetic people who ignore most of the protests. Now this is not to say that there aren't things I care about but I am very selective about what I support and I don't make a big deal of it.
BTW did you two get that Cobb Salad??

Slide over, Dee and Ani, and make room on that couch for me! I'm embarrassed to admit that although I frequently am outraged or horrified by events, I do little in the way of helping to resolve them. I was surfing the Web today and saw a nasty little article about Roseann Barr and how she claims that Angelina Jolie is evil, and that she and her "vacuous" husband make $40 million a year, yet only donate $3 million (only!! imagine that!) to children's causes in order to make themselves look good, while spitting out more (insert insulting term) babies, who will only suck up more resources, blah, blah, blah. I was pretty horrified by this little diatribe, and although I don't really have an opinion about Angelina and Brad (my apathy showing), I do believe that they do more for children's causes than most people (and probably more than Ms. Barr). If more millionaires-heck, even little people like me-followed their example, less children would suffer. I'd love to know what Roseann Barr is doing to help the children or the environment, but I'm too apathetic to do any research about her. She could certainly put that negative energy to better use! The only thing I do on any regular basis is donate money to the Society for Missing and Exploited Children (I think that's right) because if my child ever went missing, they'd be the first ones I'd call. Okay, I have definitely rambled on for long enough...wheres's that Cobb salad, LOL?

I'm done stripping wallpaper (do I know how to vacation or what?), so allowing myself to comment tonight, because I really liked this topic. I am apathetic about some things like...hmmm.... gossip, who has what kids, what politician slept with who, who wore what dress, who wore what shoes -- honestly, who really, really cares???? But other than that, I take things to heart, and tend to act in what way I can, whether it's writing a letter or changing something in my own actions, donating money, etc... whatever I can at that moment.

I do tend to be passionate about social causes, and I get very upset at social and humanitarian injustices, and I don't think people are apathetic as much as tired and when you see it all, when you try to grasp how much awfulness there is, how much need and suffering, no one of us can carry that. Sometimes it's all you can do to carry your own stuff, which I completely agree with.

I left teaching to get my grad degree in environmental geography hoping I could maybe do a little world savin'. ;) I care about animal welfare, the environment (which includes the people in it), and it's always a balance -- for instance, I am meat-eater and always will be, but I spend quite a bit more money on meat to make sure it's certified humane and from small farms that only practice sustainable farming. Our animals are all adopted, and we try to contribute as much each year as we can, though it's not all that much. Not nearly as much as I wish we could.

It's funny, because I saw Karen's lottery blog, and honestly, Mike and I have always said if we won big our first act after taxes would be to give half away to causes we care about, or put it in trust to run some kind of charitable foundation -- then we'd really enjoy the rest. :) I think this is because we have both been incredibly lucky in life, and I believe in cycles, what you put out comes back, etc.

LOL on Brad and Angelina (I think they do do good work, though I found his New Orleans stuff very contrived), but I wish more celebrities were like the Bill Gates and Warren Buffets of the world. Money is one thing, but it's how you live each day, too, being kind, giving where you can, even if it's a kind word. I try to put information in my books that might help people think about certain issues or ideas, not always, but sometimes. Millions of little things you probably do and you never really think about how important they are, like feeding the birds or bringing cookies into work.

I do cringe at the people who have 20 kids -- that is a resource suck. If you want that many kids, there are a lot of them out there that need homes.

I do what I can in my life, literally in my own backyard, to make the world a little better, though not nearly enough. If something really matters to me, I do try to change how I live even if in some small way. You can only do what you can do and every little bit counts, and I know you all far too well to call any of you apathetic. ;) Everyone does good work in the world in their own way (like raising wonderful children as you all have, who will go out and change it).

Sam

I tend to get fired up over things, too, but I have learned to not get my dander up over things I can't control. That was a huge lesson. If there is something I can do something about and I get riled, then I do something about it.

we've got one big damn couch in here, lol!

I just posted something before I'd signed in and it was eaten. Here's the gist: Everyday life is overwhelming, issues everywhere. We simply are overrun with media stuff, Keith Oberman vs Bill O'Reilly, Branjelina's kids, Oprah's causes, what's happening on UTube, Facebook, etc. Keeping up today stretches us. We're tired old souls in beautiful young faces and bodies :)
I'm guest posting here in Oct, I think, and I just may post my biggest issue, safeguarding my favorite chair against 6'5" son-in-laws. Did you ever notice that no one ever takes DAD'S favorite chair, but boy will they sit in Mom's? Why is that? I mean who needs to put their feet up after dinner the most, usually it's the cook, and that's Mom. Maybe :) I'm on a chair-protection stakeout, even now.

CaitLondon.com
http://caitlondon.blogspot.com

I never really thought about this before. Wait, no, I take that back. I have wondered if there was something up with me and my general lack of concern about anything that wasn't immediately life-concerning--but I just concluded I was lazy. LOL

Seriously, though, I find myself becoming less apathetic the older I get. I used to just let things roll off of me, even if they did hit a nerve in one way or another. Nowadays, I'm pretty vocal if something bothers me. Like, for example, since someone brought up pets, my BIL and SIL bought a purebred yellow Lab about a year and a half ago just so they could breed her. They did so and she had a litter of 12 puppies about four months ago. Now they're having financial problems and they want to breed her again ASAP (I don't even know if that's possible) so they can get more puppy money. And that just pisses me off to no end. I told them as much and now they're both mad at me. God forbid my SIL actually get a job to pay the bills, you know? Grrrrr. The world does not need any more animals, even if they are purebred!!

Whew...okay...off my soapbox now. *blush* I know my big mouth doesn't necessary make me "active" for a cause, but it's definitely progress from the mouse I used to be. I can see myself being more like Sam someday in the future, probably when I can literally afford to back my mouth up. ;)

To fire up over things that, in the long run, aren't that big of a deal. I suppose it's me getting old or something, but most things just don't get me fired up anymore. My kids, my husband, I'll fight to the death over that, but most things I ask myself whether it will matter in an hour, a day, a week, a month. If not, then I let it go.

And that way, my stress level is lower, and I'm a happier human :-)

Shirley

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