A Go Girl wants to travel, is traveling, has traveled. A Go Girl wants to see different places, is and has. And a Go Girl wants to see change.
I am for equality across the board. It bothers me when women are discriminated against but it also bothers me when women take advantage of old rules such as “Never hit a girl.” That doesn’t give any girl/woman to hit boys/men. And it irritates me to no end to see people take advantage of it and hit guys because they won’t be hit back and gleefully abuse their “friends” with absolutely no expectation of a return volley.
But on a more global scale, governments that ignore their people bother me. I believe in what President Lincoln said, “Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth.” When governments and political parties forget that their ideals were formed based upon what the people believed they deserved or desired, I am frustrated and disappointed. Now US citizens are in a national debt pickle, and there is tension on both sides. Some stubborn Republicans are refusing to compromise and help this country out as a deadline nears, instead standing by the words they used to convince the people they were right for the job in the first place. And then some stubborn Democrats are angry that they are on the sidelines and that their leaders are compromising, are cooperating with the other side. A government cannot survive without cooperation between opposing parties and right now is not the time to begin treating the other party as if they have cooties. Change needs to happen, and soon. And it will, though whether or not the politicians will be able to affect it remains to be seen.
Recently, I heard a CEO speak about being in “growth mode”–always learning, engaging and seeking opportunities to grow, change, gain knowledge. We are responsible for where we go and what we do even when thrown into terrible situations. As Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” And that’s what protestors all over the Middle East have done. They have sparked the changes they wanted to see in the world by changing their role. Instead of being citizens who criticized in private, they went public and worked with peers to be heard by a government that refused to change. They ensured that the world heard and saw that they had changed from a passive citizenry to one ready to force their government to be accountable to its people.
This is one of my favorite songs about being the change. This world that we live in is changing. The US will probably not be “top dog” for much longer. Other countries are turning to others for guidance and support because the US does not hold the same weight as it has in the past and it is becoming slow to change, in my opinion. New countries are emerging, which means new cultures will be sparking trends and changes in the world. But just because the world order is changing, it doesn’t change how we, lowly beings that we are, should begin looking towards traditions and the tried and true ways of life. If we don’t join the change and do our part to ensure it goes in a direction we are proud of then who knows where these changes will go?
So, as a proud Go Girl, I am beginning the change within myself to hopefully influence change beyond me. And as I travel to see distant worlds, cultures, lands, people, I hope to see change, to change and to inspire change. Whether by being the one smiling face on the subway or one of the few who gives change to people sitting on street corners, I will work to be a part of change. Perhaps my career isn’t directly related to change but I will work with corporations that work to provide positive change in some capacity. And there are always the interests that one holds beyond work to think of as well. Protests, voting and the companies I support through the purchase of their products/services will be instruments I use as I change to change the world.
I will be in “growth mode” and engage with the change of the world. After all, as the CEO said, the other choice was waiting for death and, really, who wants to do that?
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