Am I woke? I think so. I just polished off a pot of coffee and I’m about as woke as I can get, or at least, that’s what I thought until I had the nerve to look up the word “woke”. According to whom is asked what woke means, it seems that maybe I am not as woke as I thought I am or maybe I am just about woke or maybe I am as woke as I’ll ever be or maybe I’ll never be woke. In one instance, to be totally aware of everything around me in the realm of racial inequality and injustice, I’m about as woke as a person can get. But in another instance,, somehow politics has to be inserted which is so wishy-washy that being totally woke is impossible and if it’s part of the previous definition then that makes me only somewhat woke. Dern, then there’s the idea that I have to find something that I’m being persecuted for and include that in the previous two and for the life of me, no one is really persecuting me so I guess I‘ll have to make something up just to be on the safe side of almost woke. I mean, someone did kinda sneer at me the other day so maybe that qualifies and I can be as woke as the next guy so now I can supposedly bask in an aura of wokeness. Ah, now I feel better. My wokeness, though somewhat marred by the political agendas of the entire population of politicking politicians, is as intact as can be humanly possible. Or maybe not. Seems that someone has just thrown in veganism, vegetarianism versus eating meat so now I have to find out what is the popular thing now and go that direction to be marginally woke. Alas, my compartmental abilities are now confused and I think my wokeness has broken. How about if I just wake up with a pot of coffee and read the news and hope I’m as informed as I can be. Yeah, how about those Dems at the last debate? Biden looks like he’s going to sleep. Gosh, the sun is out and it looks like it’s gonna be a nice day. I can get some serious work done. Oh good! My lovely wife just woke up.........dare i ask her if she is woke? Nope, not a chance!
Phew, what one can conjure up from a simple 4 letter word which, it my day meant you were out of bed and talking.
Years ago you would have had a 'knocker upper' to make sure you did woke So why is there a K in knock anyway ……….
I think I am but I’m not really sure because all the far left say that they are enlightened so if they are the barometer I am measured by regarding wokeness and enlightenment I am woefully lost. Maybe if I listen to a couple of Bernie’s speeches and declare myself to be a black socialist female, I will alas be among the woke and very much enlightened. Is Timothy Leary still around? I might need some help with this.
To be serious, it’s suspected that the word Woke goes way back to the 1940’s when a United Mine worker said something like, Going to sleep is a dern sight long (or something like that) ) but we’re gonna be woke up longer. The fact is though, it’s been a part of black culture for eons as in: “I’m woke, you’re woke, he she and it is woke but also came into view later on to mean something entirely different from the 50’s straight through to today. When the word really started making it’s way into public usage in the 50’s-60’s during the civil rights movement, it was primarily used to describe someone who is aware and understands the African American situation regarding social injustice. As a side bar, I do not think Lyndon Johnson was woke but when the hounds were at his door, he kinda woke up. That was then, this is now. Presently, Woke is a word that anyone can use, who, when offended by anything, can say that they are offended by someone who isn’t woke. I do suppose that saying someone isn’t woke instead of saying someone is ignorant of the facts might be shorter and better to some, but give me the more descriptive sentence and I’ll be happy. I digress. Again, back to the present, the word is mostly tossed around by the far left as to how much more aware and yes, “enlightened” they are concerning life and the plight of having to interact with society in general. As a moderate conservative bridging into being an independent, I do think I am Woke but in a much different way. I am Woke to the fact that too many people are way too touchy and getting way too offended by way too much. To me, being truly “woke”, really “woke” is to be aware that life just ain’t easy and you have to make good use of whatever tools you have and leave everyone else alone to do the same.
I don't know about being woke, but I don't think I want to be enlightened. Everyone I've met who thought they were enlightened were simply brainwashed. Besides, "being lit" wasn't considered an achievement when I was growing up.