Stop!

I live on I Street, thus the name of my blog, I Street Imaginings. I took a photo of this street sign the other day because I simply liked the look of it. I’ve walked by that sign countless times, but for some reason it caught my eye as never before. Maybe it’s the message below it. Stop!

What would I like to stop? I’d like to stop cancer. I’d like to stop the progressive destruction of the environment. I’d like to stop inequality. I’d like to stop bullying. I’d like to stop sexism, racism, ageism, and any number of other “isms” that cause folks to feel inferior. I would like to stop war, political standoffs, and the proliferation of half-truths, misinformation, and plain old lies that turn our society inside out with distrust, misunderstanding, and downright hate.

Sometimes I would simply like to stop listening. Perhaps it would be practical to take a break from all the chatter, the media hype, and ideas or opinions that muddy the profound issues that affect our world. Yet, I know that listening leads to thinking, to discovering, to deciphering, and to deciding. Listening helps one understand. I guess I simply cannot stop then. To stop would mean closing the door to choice and change. To stop would mean to acquiesce and lose my own voice. To stop would mean to give up, and that is just not an option.