When I was young I remember the holidays as a magical time of year when fresh baked cookies were always available, houses twinkled with multi-colored lights, and a fat man cloaked in red and white brought me toys. The holidays were a time of family and late night games and movies featuring Rudolph and Frosty. We would decorate our tree, drink hot chocolate (even though it was still warm outside), and listen to carols. The holidays were about comfort and warmth and love.
Thankfully, the holidays are still a time that make me happy to be alive. I still go over my parents house to bake cookies and decorate the tree. My husband keeps the Christmas movies alive by tuning into some of his favorites - "A Muppet Christmas Carol," "Scrooged," and the old claymation version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Now I am decorating my own home with my own tree, but the fun is still the same. *SPOILER ALERT* Knowing that there is no real "fat man cloaked in red and white" does not ruin the fun of gift giving and receiving and I still, occasionally, receive toys (last year a got a Gator Mr. Potato Head).
Sometimes I wish that I could go back to that innocence of believing that the jingling keys that I heard outside my window on Christmas Eve is truly Santa and his sleigh. But, I am a firm believer that most things get better with age. I no longer worry so much about getting that cool new Barbie for Christmas. Instead, I appreciate the little things like seeing my beloved cousin (whom I don't see often) or watching my brother's face when he opens the gift that is perfect for him. If anything, as I have gotten older the holidays have become MORE about comfort, warmth, and love.
I would love to hear about some of your holiday traditions...
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
The Joy of Travel
Have I mentioned that I love to travel? I think that I have always been a bit of an explorer. I remember this big forested hill (when I was young it seemed like a mountain) that used to be behind my parents house. My brother and I were forbidden to go up into the collection of tall trees, so, of course, that is all that we wanted to do. One day I decided that the suspense was just too much and I was going to venture up that hill, even if I was not allowed. So, I boldly went where no neighborhood child had gone before - and I lived to tell the tale. The idea of an unexplored (at least by me) area of my neighborhood was just too much for me to handle. Although this was not my first adventure into the unknown, it certainly is one that has stayed with me through the years.
And, perhaps this is what I love most about travel - the unknown. But, I can't say that I have always loved venturing into unknown territory. One time during a backpacking trip through Ireland I just broke down and cried because I had no idea where I was and, even worse, no idea how to get where I wanted to go. At the time I was terrified. Now, I am grateful that I had that good cry in the middle of an Irish train station. I lived to tell this tale too, which means that I finally found a way to get where I needed to go. In fact, if I had not gotten lost during my Ireland trip I would have never found that fantastic little pub where I met the most engaging young man...but that is a story for another time.
Although the unknown is not always pretty, it is always a learning experience. Travel is about venturing into the unknown in order to find yourself. You can learn so much about yourself when you travel. And, better yet, you can learn that you don't know much at all. It is eye opening to realize how much there is out there in our world.
This week I want to hear your travel stories. It does not matter if the extent of your travels have brought you as far as Disney World or China, I am sure that you still learned a little something about the world. Tell us about your lessons...
And, perhaps this is what I love most about travel - the unknown. But, I can't say that I have always loved venturing into unknown territory. One time during a backpacking trip through Ireland I just broke down and cried because I had no idea where I was and, even worse, no idea how to get where I wanted to go. At the time I was terrified. Now, I am grateful that I had that good cry in the middle of an Irish train station. I lived to tell this tale too, which means that I finally found a way to get where I needed to go. In fact, if I had not gotten lost during my Ireland trip I would have never found that fantastic little pub where I met the most engaging young man...but that is a story for another time.
Although the unknown is not always pretty, it is always a learning experience. Travel is about venturing into the unknown in order to find yourself. You can learn so much about yourself when you travel. And, better yet, you can learn that you don't know much at all. It is eye opening to realize how much there is out there in our world.
This week I want to hear your travel stories. It does not matter if the extent of your travels have brought you as far as Disney World or China, I am sure that you still learned a little something about the world. Tell us about your lessons...
Monday, November 22, 2010
Walking in Circles
I get so much inspiration from NPR...
I often wonder where people get ideas for their experiments. Take, for example, a study that I stumbled upon today, "Why Can't We Walk Straight?" What prompted research scientist Jan Souman to take a bunch of people, blindfold them, and see whether or not they can walk straight? Why does it even matter?
But, after reading more about this study, I realize that something as trivial as this does matter. It matters because this experiment helped unearth something about ourselves that we rarely explore. It helped unearth what exactly makes us tick, what makes us wake up each and everyday to face the light.
There were some telling results from this study. Souman found that when we are blindfolded and asked to walk in a straight line, we actually walk in circles. No one who he studied thought they were walking in circles, but in fact, they were. Also, when Souman took the blindfolds off, he found that on sunny, clear days his subjects walked in a relatively straight line. On cloudy days when visibility was low, they resorted back to walking in circles (Listen to the interview, it is cool).
Souman admits that there is no explanation for these results. But, I have a theory. I think that this study showcases a simple human necessity to "see" our goals. I do not necessarily mean we need to literally see what we are striving for, but we need to have some kind of visualization of where we are going - both literally and metaphorically. If we don't have this goal, this reason for living, we just walk in circles.
So, the next time you feel like you are "walking in circles," remember this study. Apparently, we all have the inclination to walk in circles. If you are starting to get a little dizzy, perhaps it is time to take off your blindfold.
I often wonder where people get ideas for their experiments. Take, for example, a study that I stumbled upon today, "Why Can't We Walk Straight?" What prompted research scientist Jan Souman to take a bunch of people, blindfold them, and see whether or not they can walk straight? Why does it even matter?
But, after reading more about this study, I realize that something as trivial as this does matter. It matters because this experiment helped unearth something about ourselves that we rarely explore. It helped unearth what exactly makes us tick, what makes us wake up each and everyday to face the light.
There were some telling results from this study. Souman found that when we are blindfolded and asked to walk in a straight line, we actually walk in circles. No one who he studied thought they were walking in circles, but in fact, they were. Also, when Souman took the blindfolds off, he found that on sunny, clear days his subjects walked in a relatively straight line. On cloudy days when visibility was low, they resorted back to walking in circles (Listen to the interview, it is cool).
Souman admits that there is no explanation for these results. But, I have a theory. I think that this study showcases a simple human necessity to "see" our goals. I do not necessarily mean we need to literally see what we are striving for, but we need to have some kind of visualization of where we are going - both literally and metaphorically. If we don't have this goal, this reason for living, we just walk in circles.
So, the next time you feel like you are "walking in circles," remember this study. Apparently, we all have the inclination to walk in circles. If you are starting to get a little dizzy, perhaps it is time to take off your blindfold.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Quality or Quantity?
This morning, on my way to work, I listened to a story about Facebook "unveiling a new messaging platform." This new platform strives to bring together numerous modes of communication - texting, email, chats - into one inbox. It seems that Mr. Zuckerberg wants to seamlessly incorporate all modes of online communication in one easy to find area. He is quoted as saying, "We don't think a modern messaging system is going to be e-mail" and goes on to say that he believes people will "forego lengthy e-mail conversations in favor of shorter, more immediate chats."
What you must realize first and foremost with almost all free Internet sites is that the only way they make money is through advertisements. If a site is able to retain your attention for a longer time period, that means you are exposed to advertisements for a longer span of time. I know what many of you are saying right now - "I don't even read the advertisements!" But, what you don't know is that you really do. Your conscious mind does not take the time to read every word of an ad, but your unconscious mind does see the ad and at least gloss over it. Advertising has always preyed upon the unconscious mind. Zuckerberg's plan of streamlining communication methods within Facebook is just another way to give his company more time to latch upon your psyche. I am sure that enabling further communication is important to Zuckerberg, but he does run a profitable business that must compete against the giant that is Google. No matter how new additions to Facebook are marketed, they are always going to be tools to help Facebook profit.
Sadly, most Facebook users do not even think about Facebook as a business. Most users think about Facebook as a cool way to keep in touch with friends. I have tried to get the whole Facebook thing. I have tried to understand why people are so enthralled with a screen that shows tiny pictures of "friends" with short messages about their lives. I have tried and failed. I have a Facebook page but I just don't get it. I check Facebook maybe once or twice a month and I quickly leave the site soon after I log on. Perhaps I just don't like people enough to want to read all about the details of their lives. Perhaps I just like to spend my time doing other things that require me to NOT sit in front of a computer. Either way, my quest to understand Facebook has been fruitless.
Until I remembered something from my childhood...When cell phones first became popular and affordable my cousin quickly purchased one. Almost every night he would call my house so my dad could "talk him home." I don't quite know what he did on his drive home before he got that phone but afterward he spent almost all of the drive talking to friends and family. When given the tools to communicate, can we not stop ourselves from reaching out to our fellow man? Is Zuckerberg just profiting off of one of our basic human instincts?
We may never know the true motivations for the creation of innovations that become so integral in our lives. But, one thing we can know is how much we let these innovations change who we become as a society. If communication between human beings is so essential, than perhaps tools like Facebook make us better and stronger. But, if the quality of said communication (think about the quote earlier "shorter, more immediate chats") is what counts, then tools like Facebook are most certainly working against us.
What you must realize first and foremost with almost all free Internet sites is that the only way they make money is through advertisements. If a site is able to retain your attention for a longer time period, that means you are exposed to advertisements for a longer span of time. I know what many of you are saying right now - "I don't even read the advertisements!" But, what you don't know is that you really do. Your conscious mind does not take the time to read every word of an ad, but your unconscious mind does see the ad and at least gloss over it. Advertising has always preyed upon the unconscious mind. Zuckerberg's plan of streamlining communication methods within Facebook is just another way to give his company more time to latch upon your psyche. I am sure that enabling further communication is important to Zuckerberg, but he does run a profitable business that must compete against the giant that is Google. No matter how new additions to Facebook are marketed, they are always going to be tools to help Facebook profit.
Sadly, most Facebook users do not even think about Facebook as a business. Most users think about Facebook as a cool way to keep in touch with friends. I have tried to get the whole Facebook thing. I have tried to understand why people are so enthralled with a screen that shows tiny pictures of "friends" with short messages about their lives. I have tried and failed. I have a Facebook page but I just don't get it. I check Facebook maybe once or twice a month and I quickly leave the site soon after I log on. Perhaps I just don't like people enough to want to read all about the details of their lives. Perhaps I just like to spend my time doing other things that require me to NOT sit in front of a computer. Either way, my quest to understand Facebook has been fruitless.
Until I remembered something from my childhood...When cell phones first became popular and affordable my cousin quickly purchased one. Almost every night he would call my house so my dad could "talk him home." I don't quite know what he did on his drive home before he got that phone but afterward he spent almost all of the drive talking to friends and family. When given the tools to communicate, can we not stop ourselves from reaching out to our fellow man? Is Zuckerberg just profiting off of one of our basic human instincts?
We may never know the true motivations for the creation of innovations that become so integral in our lives. But, one thing we can know is how much we let these innovations change who we become as a society. If communication between human beings is so essential, than perhaps tools like Facebook make us better and stronger. But, if the quality of said communication (think about the quote earlier "shorter, more immediate chats") is what counts, then tools like Facebook are most certainly working against us.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Information Overload
I like information. I like knowing stuff. I like the fact that it is easier to access information through the Internet. I think Google totally rocks the casbah.
But...
...sometimes I think that there is just too much out there to know. After a while all of the stuff that we cram into our heads just starts to jumble together and we become the victims of information overload. Everyone's limit is different, but we all know when we have reached that point that screams, "Too Much!"
So, as a precautionary measure for myself, I have compiled a list of stuff that I never want to explore in great depth. I was inspired to create this list after listening to an interview with well-known writer, Nora Ephron. She has made a similar list to aid her in her fight against information overload. So, here it goes:
1. Twitter
2. Why Pluto was made a non-planet
3. Modern rap music
4. Parkour
5. Frisbee Golf
6. Jersey Shore
7. Feng-Shui
8. Being a vegan
9. Which volcanoes are close to erupting
10. High level math
11. Any "Real Housewives" show/season
12. "The Facebook Movie"
13. South Dakota
14. Why my eye does that weird twitching thing every once in a while
15. Deep seated hatred
I think this is a good start. At least I know that information about these fifteen items will never crowd my already crowded noggin. Hey, it's a start.
But...
...sometimes I think that there is just too much out there to know. After a while all of the stuff that we cram into our heads just starts to jumble together and we become the victims of information overload. Everyone's limit is different, but we all know when we have reached that point that screams, "Too Much!"
So, as a precautionary measure for myself, I have compiled a list of stuff that I never want to explore in great depth. I was inspired to create this list after listening to an interview with well-known writer, Nora Ephron. She has made a similar list to aid her in her fight against information overload. So, here it goes:
1. Twitter
2. Why Pluto was made a non-planet
3. Modern rap music
4. Parkour
5. Frisbee Golf
6. Jersey Shore
7. Feng-Shui
8. Being a vegan
9. Which volcanoes are close to erupting
10. High level math
11. Any "Real Housewives" show/season
12. "The Facebook Movie"
13. South Dakota
14. Why my eye does that weird twitching thing every once in a while
15. Deep seated hatred
I think this is a good start. At least I know that information about these fifteen items will never crowd my already crowded noggin. Hey, it's a start.
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