Making Change: Attention 

Let's talk about how we want to show up in — and for — the world. Welcome to part one of Making Change, a six-week series on the hows and whys of personal, social and political change.

Oh sure, people have struggled to pay attention for centuries. Each distracting advance in technology has provoked commentary that the downfall of society is nigh. Yet now the chasm between how much information avails itself to us and how much information our minds can hold has grown from a ditch easily hopped to the distance between galaxies.

Self-help author Oliver Burkeman said that our experience of being alive consists of "nothing other than the sum of everything to which you pay attention." Yet, whether I'm on a work Zoom or hiking with a pal in Redwood Park, people lament their inability to stay attentive. A coworker describes picking up her phone to send an email only to see a notification leading her to open Instagram, how she scrolled and tapped for several minutes only to put her phone back down forgetting the original task. Friends talk about struggling to read or remember the plot of the movie they watched, because no matter how compelling the narrative, their brain itches every few minutes for some other stimulation. I end almost every single day lamenting the lack of time to exercise, write, practice Spanish, even as my phone's widget points out the four hours of screen time I managed. If the way we spend our time shows what we care about, the general consensus seems to be "a bunch of random shit" or "being outraged" or, if you are my Instagram feed, "a never-ending series of dad jokes and puns." Cool and all, other than the well-documented physical, mental and societal deterioration.

Because in addition to the personal struggles caused by an inability to focus attention come the political ones. Distracted people are less likely to think critically or participate constructively in the type of local and national issues relevant to their lives. (Note: Rampant social media posts/comments do not count as "constructive.") Toxic politics rely on information overwhelm and the creation of chaos — the firehose of information, memes, videos, ads and FOMO is absolute chaos for the mind. Even as the number of legit news outlets shrinks, sketchy ones sprawl across the internet, interrupted only by ever more targeted ads and just enough of what you actually want to keep you hooked.

So, how to slip that barb from your lip and swim into better waters?

Book recommendation: The Art of Noticing by Rob Walker. This little book offers 131 ways to "Spark Creativity, Find Inspiration and Discover Joy in the Everyday." Walker takes a few pages to argue why paying attention matters, then serves up a platter of varying ideas that range from easy and silly to "enjoyably challenging" and specific. If you commute to work, try to find something new every day. I've driven up and down my street for more than 20 years but it wasn't till walking my son's dog during the pandemic that I noticed one of my neighbors has topped his fence posts with earth-toned ceramic faces. Or, for more advanced observers, identify the forces (design elements, noise factors, technology, etc.) in any social setting, whether the line at CVS or at your favorite bar, and work out how they're influencing the human behavior around you. And next time you're bored while waiting or out at dinner with friends, remember: No one looks good hunched over a phone. Lift your chin and stretch your brain a bit. Engage with the world.

When I travel for work, I'm amazed how the shift from usefulness (Google Maps, United Airline's app) to mindlessness happens in a blink. A game I play to help stay present when waiting to board a plane is to find all the letters of the alphabet in order. You'd be surprised how much signage exists once you give this a go. Silly, sure, but because I'm looking around, I might notice a non-English-speaking young guy looking lost and how an older bilingual guy helps him out. Because I'm looking around instead of down, I'm able to assure helpful older dude that I don't mind at all if younger guy cuts into line ahead of me. I'm able to smile and say, "No problemo," which prompts the older guy to smile back and ask me if I speak Spanish ("muy poco"). You get the idea. Instead of wincing at headlines while being tempted to click on "California's favorite workout shoes for women," I witness one person being kind to another and even made my own small connection.

To take this beyond yourself, look for who's encouraging genuine connections in your community. Advocate on behalf of funding for youth arts, music, skills and sports programs to your local school board, city council, county supervisors and state elected officials. Attend interpretive events hosted by local nonprofits — invite a friend, a friend's kid or an elected official — and sign up to donate monthly to their cause if you can. Use technology as a bridge but let a finer world be your destination.

Longtime advice-giver and professional change-maker Jennifer Savage (she/her) is the keynote speaker for this year's League of Women Voters of Humboldt County 31st annual State of the Community event Friday, April 19.