Part of the charm of being a judgmental asshole is the ability to instantly dismiss the valid concerns of others and their chosen methods of achieving their ends. For example, some guy asked me to sign his petition the other day. It was titled "End Israeli Aggression In Lebanon". Sure, I'll sign your petition. But won't you feel bad when my magic signature isn't available to Stop Breast Cancer, Stamp Out AIDS In Crack Babies or Grant A Jacuzzi And Personal Stripper To Every Person Above Eighteen Living On Earth? Or are people on the street finally hip to the idea that I have some personal pull with the military establishment of Israel? We go to the same shiatsu masseur. He's the best.
I had really only managed to say the "Sure" part, teamed with smugly supercilious smirking, when he gave up on me. Hey, if he's going to give up that easily, how would he do when he charges the Israeli tanks with my petition strapped to himself? Quitters never win.
Unlike this guy. He's swum an awfully long way, more than once. As he says, "I just hope that my swim has brought home the message that we have to do all we can to tackle climate change." It's just barely possible that's a little too abstract a message to convey by swimming somewhere. In fact, if he hadn't said so, I would probably never have known. Which is why I suppose I should let you all know now: I'm living a life of gluttonous self-indulgence and alcoholic excess in order to save bears from circuses. Later, I'm planning on having a good long dance about modern architecture, relaxing by having a fantastic bath designed to eliminate sweatshops in Indonesia and finally snooze peacefully to draw attention to the genocide in the Sudan.
Here's a radical idea: instead of doing bullshit designed to make yourself feel better about yourself and how wonderfully ethical you are, why don't you do something about what you're interested in? Swimming and petitions don't count.
Now, to have an ice-cream for freedom.