I have been thinking about rebellious acts, and there are so many to choose from. There are trivial ways of saying no, such as dying one’s hair pink, which I aim to do soon. And of course, there are more profound acts of rebellion, such as taking to the streets.
Anger is a valid choice. Anger is a valid act when faced with oppressive systems and governments. But I believe there are other rebellious gestures available as well.
What I am trying to say is, although it may not look it, joy is a rebellious act. Joy is a way of saying no, of saying we live in a world that tries to grind us to nubs as if we were pencils, but I refuse. Joy is a way of saying you can take everything from me, but not this. These days, joy is hard to come by. These days, joy is no small thing. I urge you to find it where you can.
No victory is too small, no discovery too puny to be worth celebrating. We are not doing too much discovery outside of our living rooms these days, but every time we see work by an artist we did not know existed before and catch our breath a little, that is a discovery, that is joy.
When Miranda in The Tempest says, “O brave new world, that has such people in’t,” I believe it is to emphasize her naïvety, having lived all her life on an island with her magician father. But I do not think it is naïve or childishly optimistic to believe there are things or people worthy of discovery. Knowing there is something out there worth reading or looking at that will bring joy is an act of rebellion. And that kind of rebellion is hope.
Here then, is a thimble-sized world. We must be very brave.
