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Grow your own mind
Is this economic shift such a terrible thing?
It’s March 2010... and it has has been a windy and rainy month. There’s a stench of change in the air. Springtime is bringing bright evenings and daffodils. Barack Obama has been elected as the first African-American President of America. “Change has come to America”, he said at his inauguration day in January. Hopefully that positive change will filter through to us.
Every radio and newspaper has been discussing the economic shift. To sum it up, it seems the world’s piggy bank has seen better days! Unemployment is rising and jobs opportunities are dropping.
For the last few years we’ve seen an economic boom, in which the Celtic tiger came and roared. This meant the banks stuffed offers of loans and credit cards through our windows and doors, regardless of whether we had the funds to repay them. We threw our money at panini and cappuccino vendors throughout the country without questioning the price. Thousands of housing estates were built, many of which now lie half-empty. Shopping centres flourished and people queued for designer bags from Brown Thomas. We filled our wallets with plastic cards and used them to get €150 hair-dos from Toni & Guy; then to buy rounds of Jeigerbombs, take paparazzi-style pictures of our drunken antics and load them up alongside our hangovers on Facebook and Bebo the following morning. It was like our personal version of the latest issue of Hello or OK magazine.
So, let’s take about 500 steps back from all of this. Is this economic shift such a terrible thing? I have to consider the thought that it is not. This could awaken us to what’s really going on around us. There is a social shift due, and perhaps it will happen alongside this economic shift. We can turn this around as a positive thing, time to pack away the ego that we developed during the boom and bring back the friendly and hospitable name that Ireland once held proudly.
It’s time to awaken our spirits, shake ourselves up and grow our own minds! How aware are we of what’s going on in our community, our towns, our cities, our country?
It’s time to take a good long hard look at ourselves ...
Here are a few questions to loosen us up:
- Do you know what created the economic boom that came to Ireland?
- Do you understand tax and where it goes?
- Do you know what political party supports your ideals and values?
- Do you know what the Taoiseach’s job is?
- Do you know who our Taoiseach is?
- Do you know what is in our water?
- Do you know what chemicals are in your face cream, hair dye and food?
- Do you know how to grow your own food?
- Have you thought about religion?
- Have you any idea what the story is with our healthcare system?
Are we really awake to what’s happening around us or is it easier to let someone else deal with all that? Who exactly is going to deal with it? It’s time to grow our own minds and opinions about our lives and our country.
You will be living in this country longer than the people who are running it now. Luckily we have freedom of speech, so let’s use it! Turn off your TV and your phone and get stuck in! You might be surprised; it could be as fulfilling and dramatic as Heroes or Desperate Housewives. I’m going to practice what I preach and I’m off to get my (Galway) water tested. All the best!
By: Sinead McKiernan
