How I Am Going to Get Smart
I am used to be smart.
I have never been a news junkie, but I at least was up on the world and could follow an adult conversation on current events.
Then I had kids.
Between my full-time, job, my two cherubs and all that those two worlds require, I have run out of news time. Well that’s kind of a lie. My husband has the same life as me, parenting included because he’s my better half. But, he still reads the paper, watches the news and reads internet news every day. It is embarrassing to be with co-workers and not have any idea what they are talking about. People assume because I work and have adult conversations, I am current. No way. At work I discuss work or I get updates on people’s families, lives, etc.
So what am I doing while my husband keeps up on current events? Facebook, Twitter and blogging. Or reading, but I bounce between literary masterpieces and vampire books. Hmmm… as I think through my recent reads, there has been more smut than ‘noble’ books.
But I really want to know some of what’s going on the world. The news is depressing day in and day out and I get sad thinking about what my grandkids and beyond might inherit, but I really do want to be more aware.
And I have a solution…
One of my wisest, and up-to speed friends (why does she keep me around) reads “The Week” and turned me onto it. She even gave me a subscription. (Is she trying to tell me something?) My first issue came on Friday and I read it cover to cover on Sunday in between breaking up fights and by allowing extra Wii time. It was great! Before I go on and on, I must make it clear. I have no affiliation to this publication, I am not being paid to endorse it, nor do they have any idea who I am. – For some reason I don’t make the top of their Rolodex (Rolodex? Who says that these days?) Ahem. They don’t follow me or seek my editorial contributions.
Back to my free endorsement – it contains well-organized, straight-forward summaries of what’s going on in the world. For big issues they summarize multiple perspectives and give credit to the original source. Do you know what this means?! I can cite the Washington Post, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal (just to name a few) all in one decade.
I am on my way to being sounding like a smarty-pants!
Does this mean you’ll see some extra intelligence in this blog? Not likely. I am exhausted and can’t remember any of those brainy quotes!
What do you do to keep up on the world and still make time for YOUR world?
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Pay It Forward
Slightly Off-Balance 
The Week is like a grown-up Weekly Reader!
I downloaded the Associated Press ap for my phone and I am now thinking I need to download TMZ just to balance things out.
Happy weekly reading. Diane
Diane, could I just read TMZ and skip AP? 😉
So funny you mention this — I have heard great things about “The Week” and was just thinking of subscribing — glad to hear good reviews!
Melissa – definitely check it out. I swear I’ll be smarter if I can just remeber what I read… 😉
I have a total blog crush on you (but in a non-stalkerish, thoroughly-entertained, so-glad-I-found-you way).
This post made me nod. And smile. And laugh (Rolodex? There. I said it).
Now I want to subscribe to The Week. But do they have it online? Because I’m always on facebook, twitter, or my blog….
Which puts me back where we started.
Guess I’ll just have to keep coming back to your blog to be a smarty-pants.
Julie – I have had the longest day in history and you are two of today’s redeeming qualitites. 1) To my knowledge you are the first person to have a blog crush on me. 🙂 My all-time biggest blog crush is Lori Dyan, with a couple of close seconds. Two – I LOVED your post on stereotypes! Showering and brushing my teeth are definitely on a day by day basis. Today these things occurred for the first time at 5:30 and I left the house twice in my pajamas!
I know you can read articles online, and it looks like the have an email newsletter you can subscribe too – half way down, right hand side of the page.
Could I recommend ONE edit: How I’m going to STAY Smart. Because, by the looks of things, you already are.
And yes, I’ve signed up for my 4 free issues.
Having been on twitter since Christmas and OFF the TV, I’m feeling a little out of touch with reality. I look forward to setting my feet on solid ground and in touch with what’s happening again…without the commercial interruptions.
Mads – I love that I have you fooled! I don’t think I could do my first grade son’s homework at the present moment! We’ll have to have tweet about the week – that sounds very smart and technologically advance!
I admit it, I am (was?) like you. I have no idea what is going on in the world unless it is mentioned in a tweet, facebook, blog post, or the weather channel.
A part of me likes it this way. By doing the ostrich in the sand approach, I don’t dwell on all of the hate in this world.
I don’t have time to even read all I want. I haven’t had a chance to even read a book in months, or I have to give up blogging time.
Instead, I wait for the husband to enlighten me on Things I Need to Know. He’s my AP feed.
Kelly – I do agree that the news can get to be downer. My hussband could be my AP feed if he didn’t tease me about not knowing!
Wow, I left a comment earlier and I can’t find it. This is not nice, wordpress! Anyhow…..ok, I am calm.
You were mentioned in my blog post….And thats because I felt dumb at one point, but I am getting my mojo back. I read a lot of career and leadership books, magazines, and e-news channels like BusinessWeek, WSJ, Times, etc.
Blessing
info@workingmomjournal.com
Blessing, thanks for the ping! Masters in Energy Management? You sound smart, even in your sleep! You sound like a go-getter, someone I’d like to be, after a short, one year nap! 😉
Here’s a way to scoop your husband: create a lists of news sources on Twitter. It’s only 140 characters, but you get to sound way more knowledgeable than someone who has to wait for the morning paper. I’m often scooping my DH on sports news. “Hey,” I say, “do you know so-and-so’s been traded?” It’s a bit of its own sport…
Ironic Mom – leave it to a teacher to help me get smarter! I love the Twitter idea, I am going to set that up! Thanks for the tip!
Thanks for the great recommendation! I feel the exact same way. My husband usually clues me in to the big issues. Even on Sunday when I sit down to “read” the paper, I just go for the ads.
I am going to look into this b/c seriously, I think people expect me to know some of this stuff!
Melissa – I don’t know if this is bad to say, but I am kinda thrilled that the Dr can feel lost. It really is great and you can look at super current events on their website!
Writing. This. Down.
Must. Buy. This.
I’m so out of mental bandwidth that I really need these Clif Notes to life.
Thank you!
Nichole: If you find clif notes to The Week – I WANT THEM! My biggest problem is remembering what I read since I was so exhausted when I read it. I am just hoping that if someone brings something up, it will jog my memeory! Are you all caught and back to normal from Saturday?
I feel you in the feeling dumb department. On the Restless Writers’ blog we had to list our current reads and all I could think of was “cereal box”. I will endeavour to try your tactic!
But I loved the cereal box comment! 😉 I read it cover to cover, even the extra boring stuff. But hell, if you read the semi-interesting stuff you’d be set!
You have time to read? That Sunday Times is a more of a reminder to recycle the previous week’s paper with the article(s) I intended to read. Maybe when the kids are 18 I’ll be able to read.
Heather – I have only read 1/4 of the issue so far this week… But I am trying…