After talking to Dad about his participation in various activist protests in the 1970s and about his political hero Abbie Hoffman (pictured above), I was left feeling empty. I have never done anything amazing. I have not been even a silent participant in a historical event; I was not even of voting age so I could vote in the 2008 election in which my political hero (the only one I have so far) Barack Obama won the presidency.
Dad squatted during the Tocks Island Dam battle between the U.S. Government and an environmental activism group; granted, he was only there for three or four months while some squatted for years, but he participated! And Dad participated in anti-war protests in Washington, D.C. and in doing so, he actually met his hero Abbie Hoffman! I am amazed at this because very few of my friends have parents who have been involved in great historical events.
The idea of political activism has been slumbering in the rear quarter of my mind for some time and now I feel very motivated. I do not have direction though. Motivation without direction can be worth nothing.
Furthermore, this knowledge that Dad has done such cool things and my desire to do similar things have aggravated my already restless quest for identity and sense of belonging.
On a final note, I will quote a short passage from Abbie Hoffman's autobiography Soon to be a Major Motion Picture about his college years: "The quest for identity became paramount. 'What' became replaced by 'why.'" It just seems to fit so well with my mood.
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