I am Glad We Disagree
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I've recently been experiencing the phenomenon of, 'baby fever', after some enlightening encounters with Sarah and her daughter Emma. At a Christmas party, I watched, captivated, as Emma attempted to crack an imaginary egg on the piano. What struck me most was Sarah's parenting approach - she'd thoughtfully explain cause and effect when things didn't go as Emma expected.
I have now lived in Glasgow for four months. Through an unexpected stroke of fortune, Tom offered me a room in his flat when I had nowhere else to go. I sorted my life into what would fit in a few bags, leaving behind cherished possessions like my heated air dryer. My last day in Bristol was spent at a swing dancing night called "Ain't Misbehavin'." It felt like a fitting way to end things. I felt at home with the dancing community in Bristol, and it was perhaps my last chance to enjoy it. On my way back from the night, I was chatting to someone who grew up in Edinburgh and was giving me the lowdown on Glasgow. "It's got a good music scene. Watch out for the stabbings though," they said with a half-smile. Having moved out of my place, I returned to my friend's bed sometime after 1 AM. It felt like an emotionally significant moment in my life. I did not sleep; instead, I wandered around the very quiet streets near my alma mater. Taking it all in. Drinking from an endless vase. Never quite satisfied. A coach at 7 AM took me to Scotland that same day.
A friend told me about militant vegans. How they make everyone feel bad from their moral high ground. I used to be one. With friends who thought the same, it was easy. I spent hours using philosophical jiu-jitsu to convert people.
Then I wondered - does this actually help? Some googling and talking showed me the truth. My veganism barely dents the system. The factory farms keep running either way. So I dropped the crusade.
Some days, Tom speaks about fighting battles we know we'll lose. Like his quest to end all suffering in our world, human and non-human alike. We lose this battle every single day, he and I. Yet we keep fighting, because we must.
Another battle worth fighting is against life's suboptimal parts. And oh, how suboptimal the internet has become. The endless ads, mind-numbing short-form content, waves of misinformation - it's exhausting. I dream of a more wholesome internet. One where I can simply read my friends' thoughts without ads force-fed into my consciousness. Where disagreements with strangers can unfold with nuance and empathy. This version of the internet - this is worth fighting for. And so I joined Bluesky.