Renee+S’s+2015+OpEd+Article

What do I want to expose? What in this world bothers me? I don’t want to write about something that has been written about already. Besides, I don’t think anybody wants me to start crying while I write about abortion. I don’t think anybody cares that I believe in gender roles. And I can’t write an entry on how much clogged toilets bother me. I brainstormed useless ideas for too long until I realized. The only thing I have to complain about is the fact that I don’t want to complain. Why are my teachers wanting to make a pessimist of me? I’m fine with the world. Let it be. Then somebody thinks, “Renee that’s not even the point of the assignment. We are raking muck to bring about change. It’s to enlighten people, to make things better.” Okay well how many of my peers are going to go out into the world and actually do something about that which they are complaining? Few if any. There are things wrong with this world and no matter how many times I’m told that I have a ripple effect and I can change this world, chances are I’m not going to try. I may change a life or two but I’ll leave the fate of the world to it’s whole population. I’ll just be here, trying to be happy and trying to pick the good out of life. Negative thoughts breed negative thoughts. Positive thoughts breed positive thoughts. Instead of trying to think about everything wrong with this world, I’d rather think on what’s good and right with it. Why can’t that be an assignment? How good would that feel, to read and write about The Red Cross, the Make a Wish Foundation, that girl at church last night who slow danced with the boy in the wheelchair even though it meant having to sway herself, people who leave quarters on gumball machines, St, Judes. Let me tell you, that would make me a lot happier than this assignment. We are surrounded by complaint all day. “History test we are all screwed.” “I don’t want to write an in class essay.” “I’m fat.” “School hasn’t even started yet and I’m already done.” “We have to do stamps in Spanish again are you freaking kidding me?” Etcetera, etcetera. You know what’s even worse? People who complain to you, and you give them multiple suggestions for solutions, but they shoot down every one because they don’t care how good of ideas they are, they are only complaining to I guess annoy the heck out of you. People don’t ever say, “You know, I’ve actually been paying close attention in class lately, I studied hard, and I’m very ready for this upcoming test.” But wouldn’t that be great? Alright, I have no more to say about this. A muckraker essay to expose muckraker essays: you can’t have seen this coming.

P.S. If you are wondering how my photo relates: I suppose I could say that when I was a baby I couldn’t talk so I couldn’t complain about anything. According to my siblings (the rest of the photo’s inhabitants) I was the happiest baby and I never cried. Honestly though I just thought I could make people smile with a baby picture, because I’d like to believe I wasn’t an ugly baby. Happy happy times.