I read this quote in a NYT article yesterday and felt like I had to share it. I think it nicely sums up something that I’ve been trying to articulate for awhile now. It is very easy to get caught up in the internet and all things digital. The internet connects all of us and provides us with a nearly infinite source of entertainment. It is a great place to be! I’ve seen myself and pretty much everyone around me get sucked into it from time to time. This is ok! It is perfectly normal and fine to be pulled to the internet.
At the same time, I believe in balance and the flipside is that we need to remember that our actions on the internet also need to be balanced with our actions in the physical world. I have begun asking myself how I can translate every tweet/share/post that I am a part of on the internet into something else in the physical world. These things don’t have to be big personal acts…they can be as simple as holding the door for another person, saying hello to a stranger, or just simply being kind in any moment.
Thanks for sharing! I really liked his thoughts about picking one or two things to invest time/money into: “I’m trying to transition from making comments on social media to choosing one or two organizations to work with and support so that I feel like I’m actually being a positive part of the process. You don’t want to be a crank.” I attended a Writers Resist event in my community this last Saturday, and one of the writers mentioned that she has taught her children to choose one thing they are passionate about and fully invest in that because we can’t solve everything. I really liked that. My problem is that the thing I am most passionate about happens to be libraries, so lines sometimes blur between work and community, but I suppose that’s actually the best blurring. I’m personally going to look into volunteering for the county library’s home delivery program, which is volunteer run. I hope it hasn’t been abandoned. That’s something I can do on a Saturday.
I hear ya! I would love to hear more about your county library’s home delivery program…that sounds so neat and amazing. And a really good thing to offer a community.
I’m hoping it hasn’t been disbanded. I’ll get the scoop and let you know.