I have always found the idea of activism to be intriguing. Someone believes in a principle so much that they can no longer sit by as injustice continues. Some people dedicate their entire lives to a cause, and there are countless others who give their lives for something that may never be realized.
Well I have found something that I believe in. I want to see the minds of children stimulated mentally through the cultivation of artistic talents and reading books.
I didn’t have an iPod or cell phone when I was growing up. All I had was my mind. I wrote poetry and short stories all day. When I played with toys it was an experience. I had plot and character development, interwoven love stories, sound effects, adventure and passion. I took an innocent pride in my stories.
I could play sports or games with others, but when it came to action figures I did not need any friends. I thought other children had horrible sound effects, and no vision for where their characters were going. It wasn’t my fault they didn’t know how to orchestrate sounds for explosions and car wrecks.
In addition to possessing my own universe I was an avid reader. Goosebumps, Animorphs, and the Baby Sitters Club were some favorite collections of mine. Authors like Norton Jester, Shel Silverstein and Roald Dahl were literary heroes, and every word I read built up my desire to create. I dreamt of writing marvelous works so that I could inspire others in the same manner that I experienced.
All of these experiences reflect in my life to this day. I write poetry, songs, and stories all the time, have written for The Houstonian for almost 4 years and will certainly sprout my first book soon. Mad Brad may generally divert from serious issues to cover abusive felines and squirrel revolutions, but it’s the result of a cultivated creative process.
I believe that it’s necessary to keep up with advances in technology so that you don’t become useless to the world, but some things should never be forsaken. We have the ability to inspire the future in someone’s life and we should never take it for granted. If we positively influence children earlier we might eliminate some of the issues that we are fighting against.
My revolution may never extend from the gates of the Mad Brad household, but at least my children will have a chance. Gabriela, Mordecai and Bradley Jr. (assuming that my future wife will approve of these names) will be able to discover what they love, and will have my support in their endeavors.
They may not wish to carry on in their “mad” father’s footsteps, but hopefully they’ll at least inherit my good looks.