MLK

Friday morning was the start of the MLK Summer Scholars, a program funded by The Boston Globe and John Hancock that coaches under-privileged youth in interviewing, writing, money, and other business skills. As a volunteer mentor, I sat at a table with my 9 students amongst 650 kids from all over Boston.

Students talked about what MLK stood for and the most pressing problems facing teens today. "Indifference is more dangerous than ignorance," one boy shared. "Indifference is more dangerous than anything."

I thought about this while reading Krugman's Boiling the Frog. Excuses, indifference, and the status quo are killing our economy and the environment.

I am so over the "old folks" looking to the young ones to get out there and redirect the great lumbering behemoth of human progress. I am so over everyone (including me) staring at Obama on the TV and hoping he fixes it soon.

We are not victims. Obama said as much when he started the United We Serve Challenge, which is going on right now, by the way.

For those in the Boston area, I urge you to check out Boston Cares (I've been a member since 2007). The amount of service you do is flexible, and you can sign up for projects last minute. Becoming a member takes about 45 minutes of your time while you attend a new volunteer orientation session.

If you're unemployed, as many of us are, this is an enlivening and inspired way to spend your free time. Volunteering creates connection and a sense of purpose, a nice reprieve from the vast sea of mass media terror and paralysis.

Start somewhere. "It won't make a difference" is a lie.

MLK's inspiration M.K. Gandhi said it best: You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result.