Inky: I completely agree with you. My greatest struggles in life seem to come from the collisions between my idealist views of the world and the hard, cold nature of reality. When I see something that needs to change in the world, either on the small local scale or on a global scale, I find that I am quickly frustrated by the sheer resistance to change that most people feel. But I keep trying. I haven't reach the cynical stage yet!
But I do know that I come by my passion honestly. My grandmother, who lived to be 90 years old, was a force to be reckoned with. She decided in her 20s or 30s that her section of the city needed a local library. She made it happen all by herself. Even into her 80's, she decided that her street needed a streetlight in her block because of a sharp curve in the road. She made it happen by raising her voice down at city hall. I spent most of my young and formable days watching this very kind and very determined southern lady march up to people and create new program or ideas out of thin air, just by her force of will.
There are certainly people who can do this, and the rest of the world will benefit from them. So continue banging that head. One day the wall will fall. And maybe, just maybe, others will join you along the way. I know that I would be happy to! And we can commiserate about our headaches together too!
