jeremiad

\jair-uh-MYE-ud\

noun

: a prolonged lamentation or complaint; also : a cautionary or angry harangue

This word follows Jeremiah, a Jewish prophet with a diatribe and a handful of criticisms; his book in the Old Testament is a series of lamentations weighing on one with an unpopular message—memoirs of a bearer of bad news, so to speak.

I was more inclined toward behaving like a JEREMIAD at a younger age, say ten or fifteen years ago, when I believed the world was corrupt and thought there was something to fight against. Now I know the world is corrupt and believe there is nothing to fight against. At least, not in the same sense. I do my (miniscule) part in the fight—reuse my shopping bags, avoid shopping at Walmart, vote. But I have long since given up a life of fighting the man.

This is for several reasons:

1) I don't care—

Well, it's not that I don't care, of course I care, I just don't care enough. Or perhaps the right cause has not yet fallen into my lap.

2) I've gotten old—

In the sense that I've lost that youthful spunk inherent to those who want to battle the system.

3) My time is better spent in other ways—

It's just selfish and true.

4) The infamous excuse: I am only one person—

This is a true statement. If there were a revolution I might join, but I'm sure as hell not going to start it. At least not on such a scale.

It requires great effort to rock a boat—my only hope is to reach my arm over the ship's railing, tap my finger to the water's surface, and start a ripple.