Mama Gets Real: Get Up, Stand Up; Why I Want To Learn

It was in high school that I had heard Bob Marley's music for the first time. (For age reference, I graduated at 17 in 2008.)
I was huge on the "hippie" scene; the "fuck the man!" scene; the "think for yourself!!" scene. ("Was"?)
Apparently I never grew out of the "hippie" scene and based my entire lifestyle around it. Who'd have thought?

I remember teachers (and my peers, actually,) assuming I was just a stoner because I wore Bob Marley shirts and shit all the time. The first time someone asked if I had "become a dumbass stoner" was so strange... I didn't even understand where it came from. It's interesting how stereotypes penetrate. Toking wasn't really my bag, man, and I was determined to bust that stereotype. And now, as a grown-ass-woman with responsibilities, it's still not for me, but I still push to bust the "dumb hippie stoner" stereotype that tends to be tacked on to anything out-of-the-norm or a bit more "green". (Note: I don't smoke weed, but I don't believe that it's worse than alcohol; and, not-pregnant, I have a glass of wine occasionally. So my feelings on the "dumb hippie stoner" stereotype are on the stereotype itself, not the stoner aspect of it.)

What has always frustrated me has been people accepting everything as-is; no one asks "why?", no one questions "how?".

Well... why? Why don't most people want to know more? Why do people want to be dumbed-down? Why do people not yearn to grow, to transform, to metamorphose? Why are we content being ignorant?

How do we live life not knowing why?

I am so grateful to have had my eyes opened so young in my life. I was raised a certain way, and was raised to believe it was the right thing. But my parents never put me down for wanting to learn more. And my parents have been so supportive as I've grown and become a woman. One thing I am most proud of is my thirst for knowledge. Being content isn't my jam. I take that back; I am content in life... But... Well, this quote sums it up pretty well:

"To be content doesn't mean you don't desire more,
it means you're thankful for what you have and patient for what's to come."
- Tony Gaskins

I will always desire more knowledge. I am content in what I know but always long to know more.

These two lines are two of the biggest reasons I am still a huge Bob Marley fan. And they sum up why I live my life the way I do.



"But if you know what life is worth,
You will look for yours on earth..."

and

"You can fool some people sometimes,
But you can't fool all the people all the time."




Do you long to learn more?
Or are you content just going with the flow of whatever someone has spoon-fed you?
Discuss!!

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