Civics Challenge #2: Pay Attention

Learning to be more civically engaged may start with a positive attitude and desire to do more, but it doesn’t stop there. Being civically engaged is more than just doing things. It’s an entire mindset, a change in the way you view the world around you.

In that regard, one way that is absolutely necessary to becoming a more active civic participant is taking a more proactive approach to being aware of what’s going on in your neighborhoods, communities, states, country and world. That sounds like a lot. But it’s actually quite simple. It all comes down to simply paying attention.

Paying attention? Yep. In other words, it’s just plain being aware of what’s going on around you. Awareness is what leads to a desire for change. And it’s that desire for change that leads us to eventually take action.

Challenge: Pay Attention

Being more civically engaged is tough when you don’t know what issues are going on in your communities.  You don’t have to know everything going on. But you should know enough. What’s “enough” you may ask? You don’t need to know every item on the agenda at your city’s next city council meeting, for example. But if something major is happening in your area, you should know about it.

How do you do that? Paying attention means not only watching or reading the news on a regular basis, but it also means being aware of what’s going on in your communities. Most city councils or county commissions will publicly post their agenda before their meetings. Take a peak and see if there’s anything on there that interests or concerns you. If it’s a major issue in your town, you’ll probably even hear about it on the radio or local news. Pay attention. Keep your eyes and ears open.

Has a local non-profit paid to advertise an issue on a billboard that you drive by every day? What are parents in your kids schools talking about? Are they worried that the school is underperforming? Does your school district have the funding it needs? Do the members of your church seem to be concerned about something? Will new legislation threaten their belief system? Are the businesses you’re a customer of stressed about something happening in your community? Is competition coming in that could threaten their business? Do you have neighborhood meetings? What are your neighbors talking about? Are they concerned about the growth in your area or perhaps an increase in home break-ins?

Any major act of change has always started with someone simply paying attention. It’s that simple act of being aware that has always fueled the drive for change.

Putting it to Action

Choose at least one of the following areas to work on:

Exercise 1: Start by watching (or reading) the news several times a week and really paying attention to what’s happening. In addition, what major events are coming up in your area or nation that are important to discuss with your kids? For example, the State of the Union address happens every January (though this year, it’ll be February). Pay attention to things like that–even if you don’t think they apply to you, they do. Watch it with your kids. Play State of the Union Bingo to make it more exciting! 🙂

Exercise 2: As you are out and about with your kids throughout the week, look around you. What can you point out to your kids? There’s a park near my kid’s school that is just plain old and rundown (think 1970s aluminum). Every time we drive by I comment on how I wish we could make the park nicer. Then we talk about what it would take to make it happen. Later, I even let them help me draft a letter to our local City Parks department.

We also pass Senator Mike Rounds office on the way to our swim lessons every week. A couple times when we’ve driven by there have been protestors outside his office. My kids always ask about what’s going on, so we talk about it. If I don’t know why people are protesting, I’m honest with them about it and then I’ll look it up to try and find the answer later.

Exercise 3: Make an effort to make conversation with your neighbors, fellow parents, business owners and church members about what’s going on in your area. The economy, taxes, upcoming or recently passed legislation, etc., aren’t just conversations for college professors or political brainiacs. They’re issues that are intertwined throughout all our lives.

For example, our local Gap Outlet just closed and as I went into the store during its last week, I asked one of the employees about it. We had quite an interesting conversation about the state of our economy and about how stores are closing all over the country. My three-year-old didn’t quite understand the conversation, but all the same, we still discussed it in front of him anyway. It’s okay for children to be part of conversations like that. Really. And guess what? It’s okay for you to initiate conversations like that. Practice it and see what happens.