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By Ishi Dinim
Lately I haven’t wanted to leave the apartment or even get out of bed. I’ve
been depressed. The problems of the world rush through my cortex. Personal and
global issues are swirling around underwhelming any sense of routine.
Currently trying to kick a voracious coffee addiction and mend a sprained ankle,
while considering life’s nuances. I feel a deep pain - a small piece of
glass in my eye. Why is the world so screwed up?
I am 25 and a member of a generation that is seen and not heard. We are portrayed
in commercials and pop songs, beautiful plastic icons that speak in groupthink
with matching slave-manufactured ensembles. We’re more than just vehicles
for consumption.
With this space I wish to give youth a different evaluation.
In a media landscape where we are mostly muted of any intelligent dialogue, this
column will exist as a space to share hopes, fears, anxieties, dreams and ultimately
strategies for solving what is wrong. In an interconnected world, any issue affecting
youth affects our elders and vice versa. So, even though this could be called
a youth column, it is actually a forum for all ages to contribute to.
The whole world isn’t doom and gloom. There are bright spots; true friendships,
outstanding films, wholesome meals with loved ones, creating art, engaging in
stimulating conversation, finding a tasty poem, or anything else that gives you
a sense of joy. With all of our culture’s fears around money, and the process
of losing or acquiring it, we sometimes lose sight of the truly valuable elements
of life that have no price tag attached.
I often forget how much power I wield in the direction that life takes. When I
consider all of the dastardly corrupt actions of international megacorps, military
industrialists and political machinery, I feel impotent to change the world. Maybe
I can’t change it, but without trying, I will automatically fail.
We have personal choices, think of them as a complex set of dominoes. Those decisions
carry immense ramifications for our quality of life and will ripple out to affect
the quality of life for others. This power we wield can be used in art production,
buying or boycotting, volunteering, voting, recycling; there are so many areas
where we have actions with real consequence. Stop buying from an unscrupulous
company, shoot a film on an under represented topic, write your MP or MLA, help
somebody across the street, whatever it is that will have that butterfly-tsunami
effect.
In a paradigm where X hours = X dollars, subvert it and expect no recognition
for your good deeds. I wanted to say, "Just do it," but that is a trademark
infringement and I could be in hot water. This brings me to another important
concern, language. I read George Orwell’s 1984 (a must read or re-read)
for the first time a couple of years ago and it really intensified my thoughts
around how word structure and communication function in society. I’m not
an academic linguist, but I do love reading dictionaries and etymological histories,
and playing Boggle.
Reading the newspapers of today or viewing a newscast is very frightening. Embedded,
code orange, sniper, WTC, peace deal, suicide, coalition, good / evil, rogues,
interests, unemployment, military, vaccine, breakthrough, economy, murder, bombing,
conflict, blah blah blah. The limited number of words used, the tone in which
they’re used, and in reference to different subjects is mind-numbingly repetitious.
There is an intended codified response, anticipated by the corporate news entities,
in the viewer when we hear 9/11, security concern, weapons of mass destruction,
or other canned concepts. We are supposed to react without thinking about what
each word really means. Observe the media carefully and consider how our language
is being eroded. Keeping our language vibrant, diverse and meaningful is essential
to saving communication. Communicating is the only way we can counteract hegemony.
Well that feels better. Whew. Now back to writing a groundbreaking screenplay
to save the world. Maybe I’ll even leave the house today?
Great quotes I read recently…
In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity. - Albert Einstein
Don’t fear mistakes - there are none.
- Miles Davis
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage. - Anaïs Nin
The universe will reward you for taking risks on its behalf. - Shakti Gawain
Some places to ponder…
www.mnftiu.cc/mnftiu.cc/war.html
http://members.cox.net/impunity/endofworld.swf
www.inthesetimes.com
www.gwb.com
www.adbusters.org www.whitehouse.gov/kids
www.michaelmoore.com
http://organicconsumers.org
www.changingworldtech.com
Ishi Dinim graduated from Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in 2001, with
a BFA major in photography. He is interested in various forms of art production,
film being his greatest. He makes an assortment of dishes including a delicious
coconut curry, kaffir corn chowder, veggie bacon split pea and fillet of lemon
sole. Currently he lives in Vancouver, collecting cacti and trying to discover
the meaning of life.
"Echo!" waiting to hear echoes back… contactishi@yahoo.ca
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