Welcome to 2017. Inauguration has passed, marches have attracted unprecedented numbers of people on all 7 continents, and we are settling into a whole new (dare I say, "foreign", at least to what we have grown to know and sometimes appreciate?) government. We will encounter new challenges (personal and otherwise), new music, new films, new books, new friends, new family, new obstacles, and so much more.

But we have started out stuck. We have allowed the "blind to lead the blind", and we find ourselves stagnant. We have endured the embarrassment of future leaders stating, "I would imagine that there is a gun in the school to protect from potential grizzlies" or taking to passive-aggressive cruelty on Twitter. It's time to stop humiliating ourselves and take concrete action until our fight becomes our success. No matter what "side" you feel you must be on, we could all benefit from asking more questions and knowing more about the country we live in.

Typically, beginnings symbolize something new, a shift, progress, and bigger and better futures. Many of us remain fearful about what is coming. We are waiting for the other shoe to drop, so to speak, and it has. As I watched the confirmation hearings of future cabinet members and observed the reactions to Inauguration Day, I could not help but think that we, as a country and community, are truly lost and without a compass to guide us back to each other.

Instead of proceeding with empowerment, solidarity, strength, and pride, we are unsure, doubtful, and confused. We have stopped asking questions and listening to answers. We have not been encouraged to ask questions so instead, we have buried our heads in the sand and shut out any noise we did not like.

We live in a globalized nation and reap the benefits of that, but we do not know basic information such as where our clothing comes from, where our food comes from, what we are doing to help veterans, or who does what in our government.

Now is the time to be curious -- to ask questions again and again until we have answers and if we don't like those answers, we make way for change. We cannot continue enjoying our privileges without asking: at what cost? At what cost can we ignore and neglect Planned Parenthood? Our public schools? Our healthcare system? Our curiosity can guide us down a beautiful path of struggle leading to the joys of knowing we made a difference and leave behind a legacy of compassion and care for everyone.

To focus on why something has occurred in the past is not nearly as necessary as asking how to be better prepared, informed, stronger, and smarter in the future. I don't care if you are educated to the highest degree or if you barely made it through middle school -- it is our right, maybe even our duty to be curious about why things are the way they are and how we can participate in change or keeping up the good we already have.

There is a power to being curious and seeking out answers. While protesting and marching does wonders for visibility and awareness, actions taken consistently in our day to day lives signals something greater. It is hard. It is hard to stay involved and press on when people disagree, don't care, or don't reflect, but we all must be active participants in our country. The future depends on what we do today. And the world is watching -- laughing, crying, booing, and applauding.

So I made a short list to inspire and implore everyone to get s**t done and get involved:

1. Go local.

Attend meetings in your town or city. Check out your town's website for details about community meetings. Not only do you get to know your neighbors, you get to invest in the place you live and make it stronger.

2. If you feel so inclined and want to go beyond town meetings, join a committee.

There are boards and committee seats or even volunteering. There is plenty to do -- economic development, planning and zoning, recreation, and so on and so forth. Check out your town or city or county and get moving.

3. Volunteer.

Got questions about specific fields, industries, or issues? Just want to know if something is worth your time? There is no better way to get your feet wet than to volunteer. Set aside time once a week, once a month, whenever you can, to volunteer. You never know what you will learn or the stories you will hear from others.

4. Talk to an expert.

Interested in learning more about this thing we call climate change? Talk to a scientist who has studied it. Want to know what rights people have when it comes to guns? Talk to a lawmaker. Seek out the answers from those who know have dedicated time to learning all about these subjects. Do you agree with those answers? Knowledge is still power. Use it as such.

5. Come together, gather, mobilize, build, empower.

Now is the time to pull all your close friends and family together and say, "I am here for you." It is even better if you have different points of view because maybe, just maybe, you can find common ground and take action together. We don't all have to think alike to act together.

I'm fired up. I am signing up for newsletters and looking into events I can volunteer at (specifically sustainability, recycling, and composting) so I can be a part of this wild world we created. Take one issue and run with it. My issue is typically sustainability and environmentalism so my commitment is to continue to compost food scraps, generate fewer scraps, and share my knowledge on the importance of using reusable bags and creating less trash. All of my friends can expect reusable bags as gifts this year! Be curious -- about yourself, about current events, about your community. Dig deep. Don't shy away from what you don't know.

As JFK said, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." Just do it.