In 2018 it's easy to be cynical. To feel like the world is crumbling and there's very little we can really do to save it at this point. Like all of our feeble efforts are too little, too late. It's easy to feel numb and apathetic when yet another deadly shooting breaks out, yet another specie goes extinct, yet another celebrity is proven guilty of rape or sexual assault. It's easy to look around and think "what's the point? Why are we even here?"
I say this because I go in and out of feeling this way pretty regularly these days. I have for a while now. It makes me feel like there's not much point to writing songs or playing shows, to getting out of bed in the morning since pretty much everything I do will negatively impact the environment (the ever-looming specter of my carbon footprint is always gnawing at the back of my mind). Maybe it would be best if we all just took my mom's boyfriend's advice and stayed in bed in our PJs with the lights off, where we can do the least amount of damage by using the least amount of energy and resources.
But then I realized, if we all succumb to this negative way of thinking, this hopeless critique of the state of the world, of the state of humanity, we fail. We miss the point. We take the easy way out of a sticky situation but ultimately have nothing to show for it. It's so much more difficult to see things with an optimistic outlook, with a commitment to fixing things up, continuing to try, continuing to press on and keep the faith and do the work and get out of bed each day. To actively seek out opportunities to be a part of the solution. To make a positive impact, to see this life as the most incredible "fixer upper" project we've ever encountered, and then roll up our sleeves and get to work. And I'm not referring to blind, naive optimism here. I'm talking about fully-informed, open-eyed, educated optimism. It seems like the more you know these days, the easier it is to be cynical and dejected. What if we could flip that script, so that the more we know, the more we're committed to making a positive change? It takes more energy, and it requires us to leave the safety of our darkened bedrooms, and the comfort of our pajamas, but I think it's the only thing that will ultimately save us if we can still be saved. Look! I'm being cynical again. And the cycle continues...