Where The Neighborhood Changes

I'm not much into music of any kind, but for the past few days I've had the lyrics of Ani Difranco's song “Willing to Fight” in my head. I think it is because of the lines “You got to walk outside your life/ to where the neighborhood changes.” Walking around my neighborhood in DC, the neighborhood changes dramatically every few blocks. It definitely pushes me to think of things I don't usually have to confront. I just love this song for its succinct summary of the ethics of activism:

'cause I know the biggest crime is to just to throw up your hands
say
this has nothing to do with me
I just want to live as comfortably as I can

and also for its non-violent approach:

I fight fire with words
words are hotter than flames
words are wetter than water

I've always had an activist streak in me a mile wide. So I smile and sing this song to myself as I walk around outside my neighborhood.