Apathy As An Alluring Alternative Sounds Inviting, But We'll Pass On It

(Editor's note about the author: T.O. Illustratio is a free lance writer and observer of the interaction of personalities in everyday life. The author seeks to inspire readers to look within themselves to see how much good they can do in this world when a definitive purpose in life is clear.)

Ah, the comfort of it. The displacement of anxiety and doubt in favor of blissful ignorance. Such bliss is afforded when embracing apathy as an alluring alternative.

The constant attack ads that flood all forms of media, visual and audio, serve to enrage, discourage, and finally wear down even the most ardent student of political maneuvering, leave for those who profit from the piledriving of dubious data.

For those among us who don't savor the election cycle drama, our tolerance for boisterous bashing is far lower, leading us to the enticing siren song of apathy as an alluring alternative. We're convinced that our participation is of little consequence in the predestined process.

We're so immensely well-versed in the script. The incumbents will tout their past records of accomplishments, even if they had no part in said success. The same assemblage will distance themselves from every failure.

The newcomers will repeat the glorious glamor of being an outsider. Many will boast of never accepting corporate funding, all the while gladly utilizing special interest dollars derived from in many cases-you guessed it-corporate dollars.

Why should we accept the invitation to join their masochistic party? We know how the story ends when all the sniping and deceit is finished. Apathy is an alluring alternative.

History Challenges Apathy As An Alluring Alternative

The problem with the alternative is that nagging attribute, conscience. For as much as we'd like to sit it out, to take our ball and go home, we're stuck. A cursed case of duty to country almost invisibly, guides us back to the fury. That blasted understanding of national history piles on to dutiful responsibility. We long for the ability to embrace apathy as an alluring alternative.

It would be so easy. We could let all the childish, selfish, debilitating, dishonest antics play out and simply point to everyone else as blame-sharers. We sat it out. We didn't join the fray.

That blasted history comes stealthily back into our minds, then creeps outward to our souls. If those who preceded us on this hallowed ground that created an impossible, outrageous example of a free republic had accepted apathy as an alluring alternative, we'd still be paying tribute to a monarchy across the ocean.

Had those who took the reins later accepted apathy as an alluring alternative, we'd still have innocent living humans living in bondage and any person not born male excluded from the very voting process our tired souls encourage us to simply skip.

History gives us a 20/20 hindsight perspective allowing the chance to second-guess past decisions. "How could they have ever allowed such bad things to happen? Were they ignorant or merely apathetic? Why did it take them so long to fix what we see as obvious errors."

20/20 Hindsight

That blasted recognition of history forces us to realize that lest we take care now, there will come a future point where citizens will look at our time and ask, "Were they ignorant or merely apathetic?" Apathy is an alluring alternative but not for us. Not for the honorable citizens of America in this time in history. We are exempt from this apathetic opportunity.

Our conscience requires us to move in if we've been hanging back and stay in, if we're already in the breach. Our examples of courage didn't fall for the allure of apathy. We can't either. Our task is clear, our responsibility, foundational. We must set a higher bar, live by a higher moral code of ethics, and demand a better grade of public servants.

Our nation went through difficult times in the past, things are definitely difficult now, and will be so in the future. Hindsight is cursedly, gratefully 20/20. How will we be seen?

That's an easy answer. For all the handwringing and anxiety so many of us, this humble scribe included, put ourselves through, there is a virtual certainty embedded in that same history we highlighted just a few paragraphs prior to this one. Those of us outside the extremist element will remain resolute and determined to honor those sacred words, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Apathy is not an option for our demographic. For that is perhaps the most important part of our national history. We, the silent majority, the middle class everyday folks, show up to do the right things when those right things are most needed.

Written by T.O. Illustratio

Return to Leadership and Self Development

Return To Home Page

Privacy Policy