Every Monday Matters--oh wait, it's Wednesday

For my birthday this year, my friend bought me a book called Every Monday Matters: 52 ways to make a difference.

It's an interesting concept, although it can come across as a little preachy and the folks who did the layout of the book must never have learned about readability (lots of crazy fonts and competing graphics). Basically, for every Monday of the year, there is a different life/environment/society-improving "assignment". All are designed to be fairly easy to do, ostensibly to allow people to feel that it's easy to make an impact without really going out of your way to do so.

So far this year I've:

• made a list of what matters most in my life
• turned off my TV for a day
• set my cell phone to receive AMBER alert text messages
• ate healthily
• tried to reduce junk mail
• helped the hungry
• increased my internet safety

There have been some that I haven't done, either because I was already doing what they suggested (changed my lightbulbs to CFLs, registered to vote), because I am a procrastinator and just haven't done it yet (donated books), or because I thought it was kind of stupid (party with a purpose).

This week's task was to create, support or appreciate art. Yesterday, when I realized I hadn't actively completed my task, I felt a little guilty. But then I started thinking about it. Art is subjective. So, I suppose, is the creation, support or appreciation of art. While I may not have set out to do any of these things, I think I can check off this activity without any feelings of guilt. Here's why:

• Over the past 2 days, I have written some pretty compelling copy (not to pat myself on the back--but pat, pat). That's creation of art, right?
• There are drawings that our friends' kids have done on our refrigerator, and I have a painting one of my friends did on my desk. That's support for the arts, right?
• I took a walk yesterday afternoon and admired all of my neighbors' landscaping. That's art appreciation, right?

Next week's task is "Ridesharing". Given that I work from home, I think I'll probably skip that one. Or think up places to go and then ask people to carpool with me.