First Boston Snowstorm

Snowy pictures...

Change is possible

I want to change the world. This simple fact is part of what has propelled me into the field of social work, even before I realized that was the path I was on. This might sound like a naive, idealistic sentiment - wanting to change the world. Or maybe it's been said and thought so much that it has lost it's meaning for many of us. For me, however, the sentiment behind this statement is incredibly meaningful. I know that I can make a difference. We all impact the lives of others in ways that we are often not even aware of. How many of us can think of a teacher, supervisor, or friend who has made a difference in our lives? Do these people know the impact they've had on us? Have we told them or thanked them? Sometimes, yes. Often, no. Sometimes we don't even realize the difference people have made on our lives until we think back on it many years later. Anyone can change the world. We change it one person at a time, one moment at a time. We change it with our attitudes and our behaviors. We can change it in our personal lives and our professional lives. Sometimes though, it doesn't feel like enough to cause change one person at a time. Sometimes the circumstances and social institutions with which individuals must contend on a regular basis seem like obstacles too large to overcome. This is when we want to change the larger societal issues rather than just help the individuals. As long as people have problems like poverty, racism, sexism, and homophobia to contend with, helping the individual can only bring us so far in the realm of change. We need to help people on both the individual level and the larger societal level. And this brings us to my current dilemma: where do I want to start?