Come to think of it, my quirky name aside, I am a relatively unremarkable person.

 

I sleep in late when I am supposed to help with chores, I lose my temper and patience quite easily, I procrastinate doing assignments and I used to bully my younger brother something awful up till recently. Since I am now 21 and am recognized as legally emancipated, I deign it is high time I grow up and behave accordingly--but that doesn’t mean I don’t slip in the occasional thumping/name-calling if he gets on my nerves, but that’s what siblings are for, no?

 

My point is, I do not believe I possess any truly outstanding characteristics that differentiate me from the madding crowd. However, I do credit myself with having a sense of natural justice and altruism that has been cultivated from a very young age; yet I never took any steps in this direction till recently.

 

I give most of the credit to my university lecturers and the amazing, inspired young people I have met in the course of my work as a journalist. Their rhetoric, clear explanations of social injustices and encouragement to question ‘the system’ enabled me to truly think about the way things are. Yet, I give myself the bulk of the credit for acting on my impulses and taking the plunge into this arena of altruism.

 

 For many years I have envied the passion and drive behind the work of social activists, and rallied behind their causes (mainly with lip-service), but I never saw myself as one of ‘them’. I shied away from joining causes I vehemently believed in, namely child and women’s rights, always putting myself down saying I had no time and nothing to contribute; I was of the opinion that only a certain ‘calibre’ of folk could be activists.

 

But meeting real activists out there changed all this. As I got to know them better, I discovered that they are mere humans too. Perhaps this sounds very obvious, but this realization only dawned recently, and I am confident in saying that many others out there probably think the same: that activists out there are truly exceptional beings, different from the rest of us.

 

Truth be told, and at the risk of offending some people, they are not, really. They too succumb to bouts of bitchiness and irritability; they too make mistakes and can exhibit selfish tendencies. But what they do have is the commitment to band together for a cause bigger than what they are; they work to inspire the public and mobilize them to create awareness and take action against painfully visible injustices.

 

Sadly, many times their pleas and work fall on deaf ears, or are greeted by apathetic attitudes. It is painful, having one’s efforts met by blank stares, and often we end up preaching to the converted. Perhaps it is the manner in which they speak, or their choice of words, but in the end I believe that their intentions are good, and merely require a few moments of one’s time, and an open mind to receive and question their rhetoric.

The causes closest to my heart are, as I have mentioned, working with children and women. Much as we tell ourselves that we live in a gender-equal world, the realities are not so. Women and children are still exploited for labour and sex slavery, and many others are still denied their rights to education and equal pay.

 

From a sympathizer of these causes, I am proud to say now that I am an activist, and I am not looking back. I embrace this new role with as much grace as I can muster; no mean feat considering I also have to juggle my studies, part-time work and pull my weight at home with chores and my share of dinner-making.

 

I am still in the early stages of activism; there is still so much I do not know. There have been many times where I feel I am at a disadvantage because I am still ignorant towards many issues, but I doubt that anyone can hold this against me as long as I display a willingness to learn.

 

Please do not feel any admiration for me, for I feel I do not really deserve it; there are others out there far worthier. I only use these points to illustrate my argument: that within every person lies the power and passion to want to make this world a better place. Activism is a long, hard road that very rarely brings with it immediate success and acclamation, but no doubt it also brings with it great satisfaction when goals are achieved and dreams are lived.

 

Activism is not for everyone, granted. But it is for the person who longs for changes in the world; it is for dreamers who can take action, for idealists who know when to snap back into reality, and for those who love, who can take hate and transform it into positive energy.

 

I sincerely hope all you dreamers, idealists and lovers are aware of the hidden powers you possess. Have confidence, dear hearts, you can make a difference.