On The Importance of Personal Voice

“There is a big wind blowing today, and I’m part of it. I want to make a difference, and above all, I want to be a good person.” - Neil Young

I remember reading this quote in Neil Young’s 2012 autobiography, Waging Heavy Peace: A Hippie Dream. 

I have long been in the habit of marking up the books I read, commonly underlining and annotating different points that struck me . At the time I read this, I did not have a pen on me, and I took out my phone and snapped a photo of the page holding this quote. I wanted to save it, though I didn’t know why. I guess I felt that it was important.

Today, I thought about that quote.

There is a big wind blowing today, indeed. The winds of change are gusting at gale-force. And we are part of it. Positions are being taken, opinions are being voiced, action is being encouraged. Our periphery is laden with these acknowledgements, with public figures, childhood friends, celebrities, and organizations all juxtaposed adjacent to one another on timelines of social media.

A lot of noise. A lot of passion. A lot of people striving to make a difference. 

Social media has given everyone the gift of having their own platform, and this gift ought to be used, regardless of how many followers someone has, or what someone does for a living. The “stick to (insert occupation here)” critique is exhausted, and ought to be laid to rest permanently. Some fights are too important to stay out of, and every forum provides the opportunity to employ your voice and work to make the world a better place. We, as individuals, all have the right and the ability to use what is at our disposal to make change, and no occupation or role precludes someone from that right.

I applaud everyone, both young and old, both famous and anonymous, who has chosen to be a part of the big wind blowing today. If you have a platform that can be used to inspire action and make change, and you choose not to use it, you may not deserve that platform. Use yours, and don’t stop.

Like Neil says, try to be a good person.

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