Out of Step With the World

To decide to live a different way from the majority is only ever going to afford you criticism. Quite simply, the masses will ridicule that which they do not understand or is different, as it does not correlate with the mass. Such prejudice is the flack I proudly cop in choosing to live my life as a vegetarian and as part of the straight edge lifestyle. The majority do not like it if you make decisions for yourself, if you decide to actively disengage with the status quo, that won’t be understood and met with compassion and reason, it will be aggressively dismissed with ignorance, as any action outside the majority threatens that stability. The masses will vilify that which lies outside its dogmas, even if what is outside remains more positive and beneficial for all. Ignorance does not work this way.

When I was young I came into awareness of alternative music scenes and was drawn to the hardcore punk scene predominantly. Not only here did I find progressive music that rejected the rules and traditions of rock ‘n’ roll, I found progressive attitudes that sought to meet the progressive ideologies that punk rock claimed but did not meet. The straight edge movement emerged from the hardcore punk scene as a means of progression. By acknowledging an affinity with the sentiment of punk, in rejecting the so-called rules and expectations of society, with an inherent lack of respect and willingness to play ball, the straight edge movement therefore strengthened that sentiment.

As there is nothing more commonplace and expected in society as drug use. Drug use is and has always been seen as a mandatory means of recreation, seen as a right of passage, and never questioned, despite the evident detriment that all drugs have on all aspects of our health, drug use is always prescribed to in the name of ‘fitting in’ and the fear of not. Claiming straight edge, rejecting the use of alcohol, drugs and smoking is the most punk rock thing you can do to reject social norms, raise your proverbial middle finger and say ‘fuck you, I ain’t playing ball!’

In modern society it isn’t cool to honour ones health. It is cooler to subscribe to a drip fed sentiment of living for today and being recklessly hedonistic even when that hedonism is the sole factor in people’s ill health, fitness, morale, confidence, self belief, motivation and quality of lifestyles. People would rather belong to a mass sentiment that doesn’t exclude them than take control of their own lives and health and be in control of their own aspirations and dreams. The majority of young people today do not even have aspirations, or a sense of self, all they know is work all week, party all weekend, a bullshit lifestyle that has been marketed to them from the powers that be in order to benefit an ugly system as human lives are proven disposable day in day out. But nothing will ever change this because the lifestyle that has been shoved down our throats, the hedonism, is far too exciting to turn down; therein lays the greatest crime.

I am straight edge for myself. Because it makes me feel really good every morning I wake up. I believe in sobriety and mindfulness. I know that with a clear mind, good heart and a positive mental attitude I can achieve anything. Not being sober can only compromise me as a human being, allowing me to give in to our base primal urges and never achieve my true potential as an individual. As an incredibly passionate and ambitious individual I have my sights set high. There are so many things I want to accomplish in life and all of them will certainly not be obtained if I subscribe to the ‘culture’ that has been marketed to us. They do not want us to escape, to dream, to achieve that which is beyond the parameters of the mundane. They want us drugged up, morale down by our feet without even the ability to get out of bed in the morning, because that means we stay docile, we stay inactive, we stay in the system, cute little labourers, just as replaceable as the next guy, with a 75 year life expectancy and fuck all to show for it.

If you do not think with your own mind, someone else will use it for you. There are never options in life; we are just handed down dogmatic expectations to which we all must adhere. This is right, that is wrong. If what you have is right then I’m fine being wrong. I am more than happy to stand outside the masses, out of step with the world in the name or evolution and progression, striving for some semblance of greatness, remaining faithful that we are all capable of much more than just working and getting smashed. 

One life. One chance. Be the best you can be.