Here’s an ancient blog post resurrected, that also happens to be an excerpt from The Revolutionary Misfit Manifesto.

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If I could develop an ideal product it would have to be a magic wand.

One that I could wave around in Harry Potter-like fashion and fix all the things I believe need fixing.

But, wait a minute, what exactly are those “things?”

And maybe if I could identify exactly what it is that I think needs fixing, then I wouldn’t need my magic wand.

There might be another more feasibly develop-able product that could do the trick.

Granted, I would need to start by waving the wand over my own head.

What exactly do I mean by indifference?

What I don’t mean is waving the wand and turning myself and everyone else into proverbial Mother Teresas of compassionate action. I am basically talking about indifference to the impacts that what we do (and especially what we don’t do) have on the world.

Perhaps we’re indifferent because we rationalize to ourselves that we’re just too small and insignificant to make a difference.

So, why bother?

Therefore, we lower our heads and go about the hum drum existence of generating enough “daily bread” to get by. Doing our basic duty that we feel is owed to the small space of our existence and feeling fairly good about it. Until we step back and ask ourselves, could there be more to it than this?

The answer usually is…you betcha.

I think often we’re indifferent because we rationalize to ourselves that we’re just too small and insignificant to make a difference. So, why bother?

Apart from the impacts of things like throwing garbage out the window of your car (since there’s already so much out there), I believe the more insidious impacts come from what we don’t do. We choose to relegate our existence to something far less than what it could be, what it was perhaps meant to be.

Why do we do that? Because of societal messages that tell us to quell the temptation of dreaming and doing. Leave that to someone more talented. That there are only a chosen few who are allowed to step outside the circle of conformity and do really cool shit.

And if you dare to make such attempt, the critics will pounce with full force in order to rein you back in.

So we remain indifferent to the whole idea. Maybe even cynical towards it.

It’s irresponsible.

It’s outside the mainstream.

It’s coloring outside of the lines and we were taught early on that that equates to poor performance.

After all, who exactly do you think you are? You’re no Ghandi or King. You have no looks of Pitt or Jolie, brush skills of Picasso, or oratory flare of Kennedy (as Dan Quayle was once crushingly reminded).

You can’t dance, can’t sing, can’t even count very well. So, just pick up that shovel and get back to digging yourself a deeper hole of despair and despondency.

Shaking off the shackles of indifference will win you many critics. Some might even call you nuts.

This morning, even though I don’t have my magic wand, I do have this magic MacBook Air that I can metaphorically wave, saying…FUCK the critics.

And what I can tap tap tap out on these magic keys can emanate to the far corners of this world and be criticized and condemned, but also coveted by someone who, like me, refuses to be indifferent.