Saranwrap

John Green's tumblr: The Commencement Address

"Marry your best friend. I do not say that lightly. Really, truly find the strongest, happiest friendship in the person you fall in love with. Someone who speaks highly of you. Someone you can laugh with. The kind of laughs that make your belly ache, and your nose snort. The embarrassing, earnest, healing kind of laughs. Wit is important. Life is too short not to love someone who lets you be a fool with them. Make sure they are somebody who lets you cry, too. Despair will come. Find someone that you want to be there with you through those times. Most importantly, marry the one that makes passion, love, and madness combine and course through you. A love that will never dilute - even when the waters get deep, and dark."

"Part of me knows one more day won’t do anything except postpone the heartbreak. But another part of me believes differently. We are born in one day. We die in one day. We can change in one day. And we can fall in love in one day. Anything can happen in just one day."

Got Soy Milk?

Today, as I have so often many other days, I came across an AR post (regarding the dairy industry) that stated the author was ashamed to be human. I cannot fathom this. There is nothing wrong with being human. Being human, in itself, is not a crime. The lion isn’t ashamed of being a lion. The cow isn’t ashamed of being a cow. Or at least I hope they’re not! (I know these are two very different extremes, but that’s the point.) People are animals, whether we want to admit that or not.

There are people who don’t care much about anything outside of their selves- there are a whole lot of them, actually, masses of them. But that doesn’t mean we’re all doomed to that fate. You’re ashamed to be human? Don’t be. You’re at the distinct advantage of being human, because you can make choices to fight for all animals. You have a voice! You can actually fight! You don’t have to sit there powerless. Your actions make a difference. They separate you from other people. Do you believe in something strongly? Do you fight for what you believe in? There you go. Channel all of those feelings of shame and guilt and despair and anger into something constructive.

Don’t be ashamed to be human, because there are other humans out there like you. People who are outraged by the treatment of other animals. People who act on their empathy and compassion. Find some of them and make a difference. Go vegan, volunteer, educate yourself and then educate others. Help the animals that you can any way that you can.

I know sometimes it’s hard to look past all of the injustice and the cruelty, and that it is easy to get overwhelmed and consumed with all of the pain and to feel so impotent. But we have made a difference, we make a difference every day, and we are growing larger and stronger all the time. We may be a minority, but we are rapidly becoming a large minority, and that’s something to be proud of.

"He does something to me, that boy. Every time. It’s his only detriment. He steps on my heart. He makes me cry."

"Yes, there are monsters, and it’s okay to be afraid of them. But it’s not okay to let them win. And it’s not okay to be one."