As citizens ofWestport, we live in a little bubble full of trifling, superficial problems that, relative to our standard of living and quality of life, seem grave and troubling. I’ll admit it myself; I texted my parents daily asking what the percentage chance there was that Hanukkah Harry was getting me a white iPhone.
But even beyond possessions, we also live in a place where a football coach allegedly giving passwords to pornographic websites was considered by many to be one of the most exciting events of the year. This was the same week courts ruled in favor of Prop 8 andEgyptbrutally clearedTahrir Square, leaving thirteen dead.
Yet Westporters decided to ignore all of the significant news outside of our bubble and spending days gossiping pettily about a blown up scandal instead.
Some might argue that the curriculum at Staples calls for an escape from our bubble and appreciation for other cultures, yet the only appreciation I see is one for the textbook 15 minutes before the test.
Even in U.S. History Honors, a class near and dear to my heart, discussions included students saying how disgraceful the education disparities are between here and Camden, New Jersey, yet after that it was never discussed again and they lived their lives enjoying the incredible education we receive without guilt, with some even flaunting their new Blackberrys under the desk, texting about what they should wear to the next sweet 16.
Deciding which $200 prom dress to buy from ASOS or Shopbop seems like the most daunting task yet Trayvon Martin couldn’t even make it home from buying Skittles and iced tea alive. All day every day people yap about their problems, whether its having to take the bus to school one day because their car is in the shop or getting a bad grade on their physics test. Meanwhile, this innocent boy, close in age to many of us, was killed in cold blood for no apparent reason. Perspective is very much needed.
That’s the truth of the situation. We learn to read and hear about other communities and the hardships they face, then proceed to criticizeWestportfrom the ostentatious display of wealth to the ignorance some people have.
But nowhere in that equation is anyone coming up with a solution and actually trying to fix the problems we so harshly critique.
With KONY2012 Westport recently invading everyone’s newsfeeds, it seemed as ifWestportwas breaking through the bubble. 1,010 new members within a day is remarkable. However, a majority of the members of the group watched the video, told their friends how moving it was, and will never donate a cent to the cause.
Though I know some students are actually committed to raising money for the issue at hand, I expect less than half of the 172 people who clicked “attending” will actually show up for “Cover the Night,” an event to put posters up all overWestportin support of Kony 2012.
Many Westporters also live in a financial bubble. This struck me especially hard when a guidance counselor came to my English class to talk about post-secondary planning. When the prospect of joining the military or getting a job right after high school came up, the majority of my class started doodling or zoning out. The thought of having to actually go and work right away, and perhaps not being able to afford college, was incomprehensible.
I, myself, am guilty of many of these acts due to being trapped inside theWestportbubble. I will continue living in ignorant bliss, not considering anything besides college right after graduation and being disgusted by how the recession has left us relatively unscathed in comparison to minorities in other cities, yet not doing anything specifically to change that.
We are all guilty in some ways of living in our bubble, and the way to change that is to stop being apathetic and typical “teens these days.” Rather than just topically observing what’s going on outside ofWestport, we should take action on issues we feel passionate about and be a citizen of the world, rather than just the good old 06880.
