I enjoyed the book Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in an Age of Infinite Browsing, by Pete Davis. The book explores the challenges and benefits of committing to a cause, community, person, or craft for the long haul, in the face of seemingly infinite options. This little episode made me think:
I once saw a friend grapple with whether she should go to the monthly book talk that she helped start at her local library. It was raining and cold and she wasn’t in the mood. And then after a long pause, she said, “I guess I ought to, ” and she grabbed her coat and went to the library.
“I guess I ought to” keeps civilization from falling apart.
