karma /ˈkɑːrmə/, from Sanskrit: कर्म — the force created by a person’s actions that causes good or bad things to happen.
Where is the love?
I don’t know about you, but lately, it feels like the world’s taken a wild turn. Take, for instance, the excessive reaction to the student protests in the US. I’ve always admired the country for its unwavering commitment to free speech, but now they’re coming down hard on students protesting the Gaza massacre of Palestinian civilians. I mean, student protests aren’t exactly a novelty, right? Do we really need snipers posted on rooftops of University buildings to deal with peaceful encampments.
As Afua Hirsch, a Journalism Professor at the University of South California, pointed out, “The point of free speech is that people have the right to say things that you might find uncomfortable or inconvenient.”
But it’s not just happening in the US. These protests are popping up worldwide, and they might just become a defining moment for our generation. Despite what the media might suggest, these students are anything but clueless. In fact, they’re incredibly articulate in expressing their views and demands. Just listen to what Oxford University student Kendall Gardner has to say.
US House joins the fray
Just when you thought the situation couldn’t get more heated with excessive police violence against students, the US House has added its own twist by passing a controversial bill that expands the definition of antisemitism. Let’s be clear: antisemitism, like any form of discrimination against ethnic or religious groups, is vile and utterly reprehensible. However, in this instance, the expansion of the definition seems to veer into the territory of political opinions, particularly concerning criticisms of the extreme right-wing policies of the Israeli government.
This move raises perplexing questions about free speech. It seems we are at a crossroads where criticizing the US government could be considered acceptable, yet criticizing the Israeli government might not be. This bill could set a concerning precedent where political views are stifled under the guise of combating hatred.
How to write a blog in all this madness
In the midst of all this chaos, finding the mental space to write about uplifting and inspiring topics has been a real challenge. To tackle this writer’s block, I’ve dived deep into my own writing process to find a way through.
How do I craft these blogs? First, you could say I’m a knowledge hunter-gatherer. I collect little nuggets of information wherever I find them and, much like a squirrel, stash them away in various nooks and crannies. One of my favorite spots to store these treasures is on X / Twitter. It’s like an open diary for everyone to see — I share everything that catches my eye there. The best part? Thanks to Twitter’s powerful search function, retrieving these snippets is a breeze.
Curious about what I was up to in January 2020 just before the COVID-19 pandemic turned our world upside down? It’s just a search away using “from:kamounlab since:2020–01–01 until:2020–02–01”
Need to recall those mouth-watering Mexican dishes I raved about? No problem at all. Just search “KamounLab #MexFood”
And if it’s something as random as “spinach” that’s got you wondering, a quick search will get you the info in no time. Need a refresher on the topic of “gene editing”, just click here.
All my musings and discoveries are there — not just for me to revisit, but for anyone who’s curious. X / Twitter is my open book online. As I’ve said before, “Je tweete, donc je suis” (I tweet, therefore I am).
And I often find inspiration in these old tweets; they serve not only as reference points but also as seeds for new ideas and thoughts.
Write down everything
There’s more to my collecting habits than just curating my timeline on Twitter. I also use the note-taking app Bear, and I absolutely love it. Bear is a simple, straightforward app that allows me not only to quickly capture anything I come across but also to sketch out ideas and thoughts. Its simplicity is what I find attractive, as I loathe clunky bloatware.
Bear uses markdown and allows me, for example, to hashtag everything from a slew of #brightideas to various concepts and drafts of #medium articles, to lists of #movies to watch and #books to read. Essentially, I gather what I hunt on Bear in addition to X / Twitter.
So, I typically start drafting blogs on Bear by collecting stuff — ideas, concepts, you name it. When inspiration strikes, I draft short sections of about 200 to 300 words that eventually come together into a complete piece. The real challenge is syncing my mood with the topic at hand.
However, this week, nothing seemed to work. I’ve been deeply troubled by what feels like a systemic failure of humanism. Thankfully, I live in peace and comfort, as do many of you. But then I think about all the unnecessary suffering and… well, it just weighs heavy. Where is the love?
I think they don’t understand the concept, or the meaning of karma
Let me wrap up with a nod to the Black Eyed Peas, whose lyrics in this bold song resonate far more than the platitudes we often hear from the leaders of the free world. What we truly need isn’t a blanket adoption of so-called Western values. Instead, we should consider the ancient Indian principle of karma. Our actions matter, and they carry consequences — both good and bad — that reach farther than we can imagine.
Yo, what’s going on with the world, momma?
(Where’s the love?)
Yo, people living like they ain’t got no mommas
(Where’s the love?)
I think they all distracted by the drama
And attracted to the trauma, mamma
(Where’s the love?)
I think they don’t understand the concept
Or the meaning of karma
(Where’s the love?)
Acknowledgements
I dedicate this post to all the innocent children and civilians killed in wars and conflicts. The article was written with assistance from ChatGPT.
This article is available on a CC-BY license via Zenodo.
Cite as: Kamoun, S. (2024) Seeking good karma — How I craft these blogs. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11172315
