Star Trek Discovery, S3E1 and How I Found a Little Hope – Brandon’s Journal:

I stopped showing up with hope several months ago. As the extremes wage war in America, corporations continue to abuse and expand, science is ignored, and people no longer care about facts because we are so engulfed in misinformation. These things drained me. They drained other people too. I’ve watched as the people who surround me at work, in stores, on the road, etc. have grown frustrated, hostile, and uncaring. I lost my strength to fight against it and I kind of felt like mankind is getting what it deserved. That wasn’t me though, and it made me unhappy that I was feeling such a way. I guess, I just felt like what was the point in trying to be hopeful and do good if no one else cares.

This episode of Discovery showed me that it doesn’t matter if the world has gone crazy. It doesn’t matter if no one else believes the same way that you. What does matter is that you be true yourself, your beliefs, and you show up. You get up each morning, you go out and do your best, and you don’t concern yourself with trying to change the world. Instead, you play your role in this story of life and just have hope. Hope that one day those small things that you do will make a difference.

The truth is: things don’t change overnight. Corruption, racism, sexism, inequality, etc. will not be solved in a single year, a single decade, or even a single generation or arguably ever. Not one of us can control that, not on our own. But what we can control is what we do. So, what should we do? Show up. Be ourselves, do our best, and hope.