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Comfortable
Apathy
When you get people's attention, they
usually show genuine care and concern. The problem is breaking through
their comfortable apathy to get their attention.
Immediately following Princess Di's
fatal accident, the legitimate press asked "why don't we do something
about these pesky photographers who were swarming her car?"
The princess joined other celebrities
in complaining about the rudeness of these freelance photographers for
years, but no one listened. It is not that people didn't care, it is just
that she didn't have their attention yet.
She does now. Too bad that it took
her death to destroy people's comfortable apathy.
Breaking through apathy is like getting
your husband's attention while he's reading the paper. "The house
is on fire!" She says. "That's nice, could you please pour me
another cup of coffee."
Everybody wants our attention. Billboards
are plastered all over the side of the freeway. The car in front of us
has 10 bumper stickers, and the radio announcer has a "really important
message for us."
At last, we get a moment of privacy
with our spouse. The phone rings as the children yell "mommy, mommy,
come here." You're talking on the phone and the call waiting "beeps"
in, as someone knocks on the door.
Apathy isn't all that bad. After all,
without it we'd be running around endlessly from one important thing to
another. It is nice to know that not everything needs my attention RIGHT
NOW! But, some things do.
Can one person really make
a difference in the world? Everyone knows that they rate a car engine by
horse power. Did you know that bright lights are rated by candle power?
What's that song the children sing? "This little light of mine . .
."
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