What I care about

This list started out as an exercise for me, but quickly turned into an Emperor has no clothes moment, so I thought I’d include it. Try it yourself—you’ll be surprised.

The worth of each individual. Whomever, where ever, and whatever circumstances he or she find themselves.

The ability of people to rise above, obstacles (imposed by birth, class, culture, by one’s own doing, and the doings of others). 

Fighting for rights — tilting against windmills.

The language of how people talk to each other, assert themselves, exchange information and ideas.

The sound of language as it relates to the context and setting.

Humor and irony. The ability to view and assess one’s own and other’s actions, conditions, and choices, with in the context of humor and irony.

To see the comedy of situations, even grave one’s—particularly grave ones.

The triumph and outrage brought about by the good and bad choices made by one’s self and others.

The ability to struggle. Struggle against power imposed by authority: imposed by people, by one’s own tendencies and history, by the powerful over the vulnerable.

Greed and selfishness. The insatiable wantonness of human kind over nature, and resources.

The stupidity of people in power—to impose their stupidity on others.

Imbalance, and its destructive nature.

Dumb motherfuckers.

Selflessness. The ability of persons to put their needs and wants on hold, to speak to the needs and wants of others.

Sacrifice. 

Good teachers, good instruction, advice (good and bad), good educational situations and environments.

The ability to explain — to shine light on a situation or problem.

Chance, and the opportunity it presents.

Other cultures and the perspective they can bring.

Girls and women: their struggles for dignity, equality, and inclusion.

Persons with handicaps, challenges, disabilities, and their struggles for independence, dignity, equality, and inclusion.

Unresolved questions and mysteries—the struggle, both successful and unsuccessful attempts to resolve them. Particularly the unsuccessful.

Music. Rhythms, cadence, melodies, of both harmonious and discordant music. Of blues, classical, street, African, Caribbean, other musical strains — Indian (native American and East), Japanese and Eastern traditions. To be aware of the background sounds and rhythms that provides the supra-language-infra-structure of context.

The pearling sounds of language.

The natural world: it’s beauty, power, and vulnerability—its balance and aggressive harmonies.

Care for other bloods, and their right to exist—down to the smallest microbe.

The ability to think different, approach things from radical perspectives, don’t trust anyone over the age of 11 months.

Food & Drink—all kinds and cuisines, wine, alcohol, water.

Smells.

Light, in its various shades and colors. Its transforming properties.

Fairness, consideration, kindness, and grace.

Texture. The tactile joy of surfaces.

Intellect. The ability to discern. (To not passively take shit from no one.)

To generalize and discriminate. To synthesize. 

Intrepidness. The ability (willingly or haltingly) to assume and cope with risk.

To overcome, act, and rise above, the condition of fear.

Love, to totally give yourself to another person, to a principle, or ideal.