I’m Not One to Use “Woke” in My Speech.

I was aware, originally, of what it meant when blacks used it in connection with Black Lives Matter. Of course, the GOPs and rednecks got hold of the term and quickly misconstrued it, misinterpreted it to fit their agendas.

So, for me, it’s a lost word, a corrupted, abused word having no agreed-upon meaning. It is useless to try and use the word in conversation with others and it isn’t long before “woke” speech runs smack into unnecessary, gratuitous problems, misunderstandings, and conflicts.

I will say this, though, by way of larger context. For me, my first main ‘woke period’ began in my teens and it was centered around the words “consciousness” and “freedom”. The 1960s were largely centered around these two terms. You might say I “woke” then and continued to grow in consciousness ever since.

One of my main beliefs is that freedom is a good, nurturing, growth-promoting value. All people need to be free and individuals need individual freedom in order to grow both as people and individuals.

“Consciousness” is a relative term for each person. Some are more conscious than others. Some have freer heads and attitudes than others. In my personal experience, gaining consciousness and becoming more consciousness were growth factors in my life that have made me more creative, more philosophical, and freer in numerous ways.

So, my interest in “wokeness” is minimal/nil. But I shall go on practising and encouraging individual freedom and consciousness. Those are two very important values and states worth pursuing in life.