teetotaling

When you sit right down in the middle of yourself
You’re gonna wanna have a comfortable chair
So renovate your soul before you get too old cuz you’re gonna be housebound there…

You’d better put some beauty back, while you got the energy

(Ani DiFranco)

Cynicism is almost insurmountable. But, in addition to acting commonly decent, we can IMPROVE THE WORLD, by evaluating what would make it “a better place,” and participating in the execution.

(video: courtesy Giant Elephants Roam, a friend’s not-for-profit formed to bring animation education to prisons and animated films out)

Maybe formal “volunteering” sounds awful, because common youthful “volunteering” experiences are actually INvoluntary, and “philanthropy” is a disillusioning term.

But, in our autonomous NYC adulthoods, we have the freedom to choose to contribute to causes we care about, to work with museums, bike groups, grassroots media, wildlife & domestic animals, the fight against hunger, etc. Or to start something ourselves.