Time

I think I declared my Human Rights minor in my sophomore year; the requirements haven't been altered since then, so I've known I would have to take this class eventually since the beginning. I deliberately put it off though, for a couple of reasons. Partly because I knew it was going to be hard; in fact, friends and peers who have taken it before me have kinds of put the fear of God into me about how strenuous it would be. Though I'm grateful for their input and advice, I wish they hadn't emphasized the hardship so much. But I'm sincerely grateful for their honesty.

The other barrier was knowing what a depressing and discouraging subject this can be. I like to think I have been allowed to live a relatively aware existence, not completely unaware of the problems around me as I lived and traveled all around the world. After four years of studying Anthropology and Gender issues, and being involved in several forms of activism and standing up for this cause and that movement, I've experienced firsthand how frustrating the slow progression of change can be, and I've been discouraged almost to the point of giving up several times. I didn't think I could really handle the intensity of a class that would require me to confront these horrors every single day with the full knowledge that they wouldn't end with turning off my computer monitor. In a word, I was afraid of being discouraged.

But now it's time to wake up. Time to commit fully. Time.