I now have raised money by badgering friends and family. All the stuff you’d expect occurred  — pleading e-mails, a “team” and a record of our ongoing effort; a Web site with resources to help with the slick, shameless solicitations.

It was for a good cause — and one close to me. But others have said those things to me and I have to myself thought: “don’t use your relationship with me to support your cause.”

And so I knew others were thinking similarly as I grew a mustache for money.

But I don’t know if there are any other ways to get people —  occupied by screens and gazing at the just the things they want to see — to be concerned about things they don’t want to see…