Your Attention, Please

I confess: I am a news junkie. And while being informed is a good thing, I have found that too much of a good thing can be very bad. My immersion in cable news networks, major newspapers and Web headlines usually leaves me more overwhelmed than inspired. I actually wouldn't mind having more filters in place to highlight what I really need to know as opposed to what my insatiable curiosity finds interesting.

Apparently, I'm not alone. One DC-area blogger/author writes eloquently about the ways our brains might be struggling under the onslaught of modern life. In the August 24 edition of The Washington Post, Dusty Horwitt writes about the ways info-overload can undermine our democracy. His article asks, "If Everyone's Talking, Who Will Listen?" and notes that "the average visitor to newspaper Web sites stops by for just 1.5 minutes per day..."

What does this have to do with compassionate action, you ask? We can't respond to others if we don't even notice them. Permanently plugged into ipods and cell phones, we're oblivious to the hungry person on the sidewalk. Mesmerized by celebrity gossip, we pass by the documentary about genocide. Frenetically texting our way into the store, we let the door shut on the person behind us. We phone while driving, IM while channel-surfing, snap photos instead of seeing the subtleties right in front of our faces. When do we ever pause to pay attention to family, friends and strangers who have stepped off of our electronic canvas?

The Post article points out that you can't even help yourself by making your own voice heard amid the din. We're told that the Internet has opened up democracy, providing a platform for anyone who can post, blog or Digg. But generating messages is just the first step. To have an impact, you must be seen or heard. And we're all making that a lot harder.

Minds Matter: Donate School Supplies

It’s that time of year again. Kids are headed back to school, and teachers are trying to equip classrooms with basic supplies. Because education budgets are strained, many teachers end up spending hundreds of dollars out of their own pockets to provide students with the tools they need to learn. You can help. Visit DonorsChoose.org or ILoveSchools.com and fulfill a classroom’s wish list. You can search for a specific school or look for one in an impoverished district. And you can donate any amount, based on your budget. Reach out to help a struggling student, and make learning a mutual joy.

Give Up the Gas

Recently New York City restricted seven miles of urban street for bicycle-only traffic. The “Summer Streets” event lasted only six hours, but it will be repeated two more times this month. By most accounts, the first outing was a great success.

As someone who loves her bicycle, I would be thrilled if it were easier and safer to get around on two wheels. I am not alone, according to the founders of Bicycle City, a group of ecological designers, environmentalists, architects and others who are planning eco-friendly communities, where cars are rarely used, around the globe. Find out if your city or town is on the list of potential locations for Bicycle City. Then tune up your two-wheeler and spread the news.

Create Community

Like many of you, I practically live on the Internet. My work requires it, but even if it didn't, I suspect I would still devote hours to its many attractions. So I was happy to have a face-to-face meeting this week with the executive director of Project S.H.A.R.E., the rather remarkable food bank that serves the area where I live. (Listen to this brief NPR report on how rising food prices are affecting food banks, including Project S.H.A.R.E.) The work of the food bank is decidedly personal, not virtual, with local leaders, farmers, volunteers, students, donors and recipients working together to make the community stronger.

In an era when we conduct business, commerce, politics, education and even our love lives online, a little face time might do us good. I wrote about connecting with neighbors in Natural Health magazine, but it's easy to find kindred spirits near you -- and you can use your beloved Internet to do it. Check out meetup.com, where I found Mini-Cooper fans, rubber stampers, dining-out groups and more all gathering within 20 miles of my small town. If the outdoors calls, the Sierra Club can hook you up with fellow hikers. Creative souls might uncover an artistic alliance at Design Sponge. And if this year's U.S. presidential race excites you, just enter "meetup" and the party of your choice into your favorite search engine.

I've been toying with the idea of a creative support group for awhile. Maybe it's time I "faced" it.