When Idealists Leave — Reflections on a Stubborn and Unyielding World

I must confess that I have always been somewhat of an idealist.

I believe it is possible to create a better world, I believe it is possibly to live as a "good" person, and I believe in doing the best I can to leave the world a better place as a result of my having been here... even if it's just in some very small way.

I think it matters.

But then again, I "think" a lot of things, many of which — or so I have discovered — are of little or no relevance or importance to the vast majority of the world.

A "cloud" of pink rhododendrons in our neighborhood

A Sad Departure...

I read — with considerable sadness — that long-time Steemian @surfermarly is calling it quits here... and that's partly what's prompting this post.

I wish Marly well on her travels to new lands; she was one of the first people I interacted with when I joined here... and I always admired her amazing belief that we could truly use Steemit (which is what is WAS, at the time) as part of a plan to create a better world for all.

Her infectious enthusiasm inspired me to knuckle down and give this place a sincere effort, even though I was deeply skeptical about this venue, from the very start.

But, as I said, I'm an idealist, at heart. I have always felt that the next one (whatever "one" that may be) has the potential to be the game changer...

White star clematis

Nothing Changes... Nothing Stays the Same

As I have written — a lot, lately, it feels like — these seem to be times of sudden and profound change.

Paradigms are changing, people are moving, there are deaths and endings... and I often find myself wondering what is going to happen, once the storms have blown past.

However optimistic we may be, even those with an idealistic nature eventually grow weary... we try, and try, and try to keep a positive attitude... until one day we wake up and realize that we are running on fumes... and paddling against a stream that most likely will never change direction. When we look around, we consider that we have done a mountain of work, yet nothing much has actually changed.

At such times, I find myself sitting down and contemplating the possibility that actually creating change in the world is akin to something as formidable as being a single person trying to push the Rock of Gibraltar around.

I suppose like begets like, and I have a substantial collection of friends who have that idealistic streak. I had an odd realization today... namely that every single one of us are — for all intents and purposes — paupers.

Yellow Rhododendrons

Sticky Paradigms and Change

Now, I'm not interested in throwing a "pity party" here... I'm rather more interested in the social commentary one might be able to extrapolate from the failures of idealism.

The world doesn't want to change.

New paradigms are risky, because they have no guarantees, and no track records. The existing mundane mediocrity is preferable to a potentially brilliant future that might turn out to be nothing at all...

Even if you present the world with the greatest idea on the planet, the vast majority is too deeply invested in keeping things the same to be willing to risk what they already know and have used as the foundation for their lives to embrace something new... even when the "old" isn't working, at all.

But a few truly see see this tendency, and we simply have to move on because the immovable object we're trying to push against remains... immovable.

Be well, @surfermarly! You're a bright shining star... never let anyone extinguish your brilliance! Shine on....

Over... and out... for now.

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(As usual, all text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is original content, created expressly for Steemit)
Created at 190520 19:06 PST
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