Inspiring Things

So, I've noticed quite a few people like my blog. Well, I want to share with you a poem that my student teacher Ms. Renshaw shared with my class, before she graduated and got her own teaching job. This poem was written by Taylor Mali, and I DON'T own it or it's rights.

Totally Like Whatever, You Know?
By: Talyor Mali

In case you hadn't noticed,
it has somehow become uncool
to sound like you know what you're talking about?
Or believe strongly in what you're saying?
Invisible question marks and parenthetical (you know)'s
have been attaching themselves to the end of our sentences?
Even when those sentences aren't, like, questions? You know?

DECLARITIVE SENTENCES - so-called
because they used to, like, DECLARE things to be true
have been infected by a totally hip
and tragically cool interrogative tone? You know?
Like, don't think I'm uncool just because I've noticed this;
this is just like the word on the street, you know?
It's like, what I've heard?
I have nothing personally invested in my own opinions, okay?
I'm just inviting you to join me in my uncertainty?

What has happened to our CONVICTION?
Where are the limbs on which we once walked?
Have they been, like, chopped down
with the rest of the rain forest?
Or do we have, like, n o t h i n g  t o  s a y?
Has society become so, like, totally...
I mean absolutely... You know?
That we've just gotten to the point where it's just, like...
whatever!

And so actually our disarticulation... ness
is just a clever sort of... thing
to disguise the fact that we've become
the most aggressively inarticulate generation
to come along since...
you know, A LONG, LONG TIME AGO!

I ENTREAT you, I IMPLORE you, I EXHORT you,
I CHALLENGE you: To speak with CONVICTION.
TO  SAY  WHAT  YOU  BELIEVE  IN  A  MANNER  THAT  BESPEAKS 
THE  DETERMINATION  WITH  WHICH  YOU  BELIEVE  IT.
Because contrary to the wisdom of the bumper sticker,
it is not enough to simply question authority.
You have to speak with it, too.

This poem inspires me, and I hope it inspires you too. Please, read this, and understand what it means. What it's saying about our generation, about the way we are. This is one of my more serious posts, but it's very important. I have adored this poem since the day, not to long ago, when we watched a video of this being read in ELA.
I'll write more soon. :)
Stay Beautiful,
Abbie <3