I feel like I’m exposing myself a bit with what I’m about to post, but I’m a big believer in astrology. I don’t necessarily believe in all the astrologers out there with the light-up snow globes and gypsy-inspired wardrobe. However, I can’t help but believe that if the moon has such a strong influence on the bodies of water around the Earth, then as bodies of water, we too will inevitably be influenced by the moon, the stars, the planets around us, and yes, even the Earth’s environment. We’re all bodies of water, and the exact moment we’re born at can give us clues as to how we’ll behave. It sounds like hogwash on the surface, but my experience only tells me the opposite. Check what Wikipedia says about Aquarians like me:

The Aquarius person is unconventional, detached, intellectual, objective, individualistic, inventive, unique, easygoing, sophisticated, future-oriented, friendship-oriented, humanitarian, cause-oriented, believes in groups and society, playful, friendly, spontaneous, caring, devoted, trend setter, liberal, understanding, energetic, tolerant, benevolent, charming, patient, free-spirited, independent, open-minded, and progressive. They can also sometimes be unpredictable, dogmatic, cold, mean, over-permissive, aloof, rebellious, stubborn, eccentric, erotic, undependable, self-oriented, self-centered, unable to commit, judgmental, fickle and elitist …

*** The ones in bold I definitely agree with, the ones that are underlined I’m trying to improve, and the ones in italic make me laugh (in a “that’s so not me” way). ***

I don’t look to horoscopes and the like to tell me how to live, but this is as accurate a description as I’d get about myself. Trying to understand oneself is paramount to becoming the best person one can be. I particularly started thinking about this after I read The Unapologetic Mexican’s post about Benazir Bhutto, and especially focused on the following:

PERHAPS the most obvious admission that a person can make stating that they are personally incapable of changing the world’s destiny with their own abilities and gifts and unique vision is to simply take the life of those who make it their mission to do so.

That coupled with the plethora of discussions I’ve had with my friends and family about everything from the Zeitgeist and Revelations to Iraq, 9/11, and 2012 really has me thinking about how my own actions affect the world around me. Because of how society’s structured and how minuscule we’ve been taught to perceive ourselves in contrast to time and space, I often think whether my actions even matter.

Then I realize, “Fuck yeah they do.”

As a person in progress, I think about how a small group of bankers could influence the whole world to make the American dollar into the world’s most popular currency, how only a couple of people writing things down on paper made for all the pervasive ideas of our day from religion and light theory to evolution and government, and how even a small amount of people sparked the rules of engagement for our own beliefs. Even if all the major people we’ve ever believed in like Malcolm X, Jesus, Gandhi, da Vinci, Darwin, Mother Teresa, or Bhutto had a huge collective of people behind them making sure their ideas gained traction in our minds, that was a small percentage compared to the many more who stayed at home, scared to take a risk or a chance on what would eventually change human civilization as they knew it.

Of course, that comes with its pitfalls. There are those who want to keep civilization the way it is. Most people are averse to change, even if they too will benefit. We’ve had “accidents” and assassinations abound, and these plans usually came to fruition with prior knowledge from that person. Yet, these influential people know they’re risking life and love for the benefit of humankind, knowing that their works at some point and time will inspire the next generation of thinkers and society shapers.

So every year, I sit at the precipice of another 365.25 days go by, and wonder whether what I’ve done has had the greatest impact on my world it could have. I’m still working on my personal issues (for more, check the italics above), but I know I wasn’t meant to sit idly by while everything around us goes to crap. Some of my friends believe that the Earth will eventually resolve everything on its own as it has over the last 4.5 or so billion years, but that goes back to the idea of complacency: is our sitting down and letting things happen part of the solution or the problem? What do we contribute if we think we’re so small we can’t do anything?

Or do we? Even for my educators, what do we do besides our jobs? Are we doing anything while we’re doing our jobs to make our children feel like they’re more than destined for the proletariat? I’m not sure, but while we’re about 150 years away from the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, this Aquarian’s dawning will come sooner than that.

jose, who only writes long entries when he believes in it, and he believes in this one …

p.s. – I love that “Sweetest Girl (Remix)” with Wyclef, Akon, Lil’ Wayne, Raekwon, and Niia. I thought the original was OK, but not good enough to download. This song reminds me of the mid-90’s. Yep.