Some time ago I tried to become more active in social justice issues, primarily homelessness. I had some ideas I thought might have merit, some ways to reduce the homeless population, provide a pathway for them to escape their situation and do so for the long term.

The response I received was deafeningly silent. Completely ignored, save one politician who told me that he wasn’t my local representative and another who admitted there was a housing issue but gave no indication of actually engaging with any of my ideas.

The charities I had written to, I heard nothing from them. I looked into volunteering as well, but ran into another problem: either there were no opportunities available, or the roles didn’t fit within what I can realistically do given my health. What I could offer is limited, and that matters in the real world. I think, and I could be wrong, but unless you are working within the context of disability services volunteering, room isn’t really made for you within other forms of volunteering. I get the feeling it’s a “stay in your lane” kind of thing.

I do understand that these organisations are often stretched thin, but honestly, I was at a loss, I didn’t know how I could be a part of change in my community. I hit a wall. I cared about the issue, I wanted to act, but I couldn’t find a way to contribute that actually worked. I was passionate about the issues, but I was turned aside or flatly ignored wherever I pressed. I felt very despondent. My dream felt dead. I felt that I had no value as a person who was just trying to present an idea that might help a significant number of our most vulnerable fellow human beings.

Arctic Zombie is what rose from the grave.

If I can’t directly change systems or be on the ground helping, then the next best thing I can do is contribute to how people think about these issues. Challenge assumptions. Break down misconceptions. Encourage people who are in a position to act to actually do something.

This isn’t a first choice. It’s what’s left when other options don’t work. But that doesn’t make it less valuable.

The blog was going to be focused just on social justice. There is still going to be a big focus on this but there will be some more philosophical pieces, maybe some spiritual and political pieces too.

The topic matters less than the goal. Which is to encourage genuine critical thinking. Too often online, ‘critical thinking’ really means ‘agree with me.’ That’s not what I’m trying to do. If you disagree, if you have a different perspective, that is what the comment section’s about. Let’s discuss it, calmly and in good faith.

In approaching that discussion, I am sharing with you how I think, the reason why I think that way, the basis of my thought process and the opinion I have concluded based upon all that, imperfectly as that process might be. I am not saying my opinion or what I have concluded is right or better than or even more informed than. It just is what it is without any judgement. I am open to having any aspect of my thought process challenged, poked or prodded. As much as I want to encourage you to think critically, I want to be driven to think critically as well. This is a two-way street.

I have no credentials that would impress you on paper. I don’t believe I am anyone special. One thing that makes me a little different is I don’t assume that there is either this one way or another. A fork in the road only means that someone has pre-defined two paths to choose from, with the right vehicle, a pre-defined path becomes irrelevant. Just because someone tells you you can either do this or you can do that, you can believe this, or you can believe that, doesn’t mean they are right. I tried the established paths — volunteering, contacting the government. They led me not to a unique path, but to one less travelled.

Many blogs are created under the guise of a discussion portal but are really about the author wanting a soap box. That is not my intention. I am going to give my opinion on different topics and I am going to explain why I think how I do, which might come across as trying to persuade you to my way of thinking, but it’s hard to say I think this, have passion and conviction, without expressing that. But at the same time, I am inviting you, I am begging you, engage with me, with others, constructively, in the comments, to produce more robust and well-thought-out opinions and convictions, so when people go out into the wild with them, they can defend them, they can be supported and they can enact change in their worlds.

My hope is that when you have thought about a topic, really thought about it and you have developed an opinion that you do something with it — if you think it’s warranted.

One topic, I hate calling it an issue, because those experiencing it aren’t issues, but one topic that is in the forefront of my mind is homelessness. To my mind, in the society I live in, it seems so unjust and with the resources that this country has it seems so disproportionate anyone would face homelessness or housing insecurity.

Join. Contribute. Think harder. Think different. Then go do something with it. Challenge your world.

Arctic Zombie