I sit here outside my place of work. Have I sold out? Does it really matter what 20-something year old me thinks? No, not really. That kid doesn't know me, that kid didn't believe in me. That kid is a part of me, and I love them, but they are then and I am now.
Responsibility isn't giving into the system. Giving up is. Reliance on strangers that would rather spit on you then give you spare change. These same assholes spend $100 on food at my restaurant yet don't tip. Some of them even piss on the toilet seats and don't wash their filthy hands. Adults, by the way, not children.
Sure, I suffer for a dollar, but I also work in a local chain rather then a corporate chain. It's not ideal but it's a good job.
"Drunk and quiet, there's no future for me!" Rotton Future, composed by Anti-Flag
Here's the thing, I still drink and live my life, but I also have responsibilities. That's punk. My house is my community. My partner and my cats. My mental and physical health are important to me. No job means no roof over my head means no good mental or physical health.
"Richard hung himself, it happened just the other day." Richard Hung Himself, composed by DI
We can still fight the system even after we grow up. How can you be a good ally and protester drunk all the time or down on your luck? You can't. So pick your ass up out of your self loathing and make some noise. Do your job, and do it well, bring home that money and save for your future. Punk doesn't mean poor, punk means self reliance, community effort, and freedom. We aren't all anarchists and we aren't all addicts, we are humans and we must stand up for one another.
"I was a teenage anarchist, but the politics were too convenient." I Was A Teenage Anarchist, composed by Against Me!
Making noise doesn't mean staying up drunk and pissing off the neighboors, it also means speaking out against work place abuses, standing up for mental health, and speaking your truth. It is also sticking up for yourself and getting help. This can be reaching out to friends and family and seeking therapy. Nutrition, exercise, and self expression are all self love, and we must love and nurture ourselves if we want to love and nurture our causes and planet. Not all our views of punk are the same, and that's punk as fuck. Think for yourself.
"At the shows and on the streets, Some punks just won’t accept you think differently, The way you live, it was the wrong way to be, Vegetarian or not; drug-free or drunk, There's always somebody who says you're not a punk, They're always somebody who tells you that you're wrong!" Young and Dead, composed by A Global Threat
