Being a "good" person is not the same as getting "woke"

I had a conversation the other day, that prompted this post.

I, as you may already have guessed, constantly question the way we live. Particularly curious about those of us who have “more” money, unearned advantages, higher education etc.

The chat began with my friend describing all the wealthy trappings this couple he was visiting have, and ended with (because he was talking to me) --but they are “good” people.

There are many “good” people in the world. People who are nice to their friends and family, who work hard, who mean well.

However good is not getting “woke”. And we desperately need people to wake up.

Here are a handful of differences betwixt the two:

Good people take care of their private lives.
Getting woke people reach out to take care of people they don’t know, and will do it whether they get paid or not.  

Good people work hard.
Getting woke people work at speaking up about patriarchy, racism,  sexism, LGBTQ+, climate change, the more than human world etc.

Good people accumulate wealth.
Getting woke people utilize the resources they have acquired (often due to unearned advantage) to develop systems, creative spaces, and tools to work towards equity.

Agoodperson pays their taxes and stays out of trouble.
A getting wokeperson finds ways to contribute to those in need (without needing to be acknowledged and praised) and question why they’ve gotten to stay out of trouble.

A good white person says” I’m not racist”.
A getting woke white person says I have been indoctrinated into a culture that is racist. I am a part of the problem and what am I going to do about that?

A good person gives money to causes.
A getting woke person works to eradicate the causes good people give too.

Good people spend money to boost the economy, to live in comfort, to splurge.
Getting woke people question whether growth at all costs is the direction we need to be going.

A good person recycles and is aware that the planet is in trouble.
A getting woke person is actively committed to changing their habits and speaks up for the more than human world.

I could go on and on but you get the picture.

I am getting woke.

It’s likely I will be in process until I die.

It’s not a destination it’s an opening.

A responsibility.

A choice.

A willingness to make mistakes and make amends.

A willingness to work on deep humility.

A willingness to work towards loving the world more than my private life.

A willingness to sacrifice things in service to the more than human world.

And truthfully I may gain more from the sacrifice than I can know in this moment.

Good people are nice.
Getting woke people are needed.

You can be good and woke.

Being only good is not being an ally to those who are suffering because of your unearned advantages.

Choose Getting Woke

Phew,
Carol