Compassion translated into action

In the wake of the tsunami, and all the events and issues of the day, I am feeling washed out, emotionally and physically. And I am stuck wondering what I can do to bring something positive and hopeful to the world. Something besides sending money, as if throwing money at a problem will make it go away (though certainly it can help make some, very practical and mundane, things better). For me, sending a donation does not feel satisfying, or sufficient. What about the bigger questions, the bigger connections, our place(s) in the world, and our roles and responsibilities in it? And what can I do, from my condo in Chicago, to make a difference in this big, crazy, beautiful world? That's what I want to explore.

I read only one other blog, and am creating this one to help get over my technophobia, and to prove to my geeky friends and husband that I can do it, which is similar to how Tom Englehardt started his blog, from which I pulled this small quote below that speaks truth to me. The link for Tom's blog and this posting is at the end (it's a bit long but very well researched, thoughtful and thought-provoking). If Tom can do it, so can I! So, here's my humble beginning...

Susan Sontag wrote, "Compassion is an unstable emotion. It needs to be translated into action, or it withers. The question is what to do with the feelings that have been aroused, the knowledge that has been communicated. People don't become inured to what they are shown -- if that's the right way to describe what happens -- because of the quantity of images dumped on them. It is passivity that dulls feeling." (end quote)

I found the above quote at tomdispatch.com, a.k.a. Tomgram: Rebecca Solnit on Sontag and Tsunami: http://www.tomdispatch.com/index.mhtml?emx=x&pid=2095