Growing Up Woman

Just watched this and it is awesome. I find myself falling into this pit. My first job out of college saw me working extremely hard to gain my voice and I managed to do so quite well in the two years I was there. I was respected and valued as a member of a team that was doing something to change the world. Sure it was thankless at times and there were many a day that I wanted to shout from the rooftops but I was seen.

Then came the job of my young dreams. Writing and outreach for a wildlife conservation non-profit, wow. I didn't care that I was making next to nothing-- this was the start of something amazing. And I started sitting at the table. I had earned this, I was going to be seen. But slowly I began to along the walls creeping deeper and deeper into my shell. I was given work and did as I was told and was in response wholly miserable. I watched myself become someone I was not and it was mind-blowing. I was not introverted. I was not quiet. I let my voice be heard. I was someone to listen to and came to the table with experience. And in the end, when I stood up for something, I was put in my place. Antiquated ideologies won out and I was neutered. Embarassed and heartily discouraged at the lack of progressive thinking, I bailed. I cried, I struggled and I yelled and I beat myself up for quite a long time. This was supposed to be it!

And now I find myself in a particularly fateful place. With little power and not much acknowledgement of my abilities I am happier than ever. Sure I would like more power but at the same time, I am helping people around the world work towards their future. And at the same time I am going back to school. Education is about to get a boost in enrollment because the way I see it, your Bachelor's degree is about as useful as your High School diploma at this point. Those moving up in the world need Masters and there can be no more kicking around the idea. It has to become a reality. There is no way that I am going to allow myself to be that girl sitting on the sideline any more. I am a player. I am a leader. And it is time, as a woman of the next generation, to get in the game.

Inspiration and a Loss of Abilities

A little bit about my life without giving the world too much. I'm an educated twenty-something who has had a lot of opportunities and is having trouble focusing on one thing. In my short time on this planet I have worked my butt off to be something and finding myself in the ever-so-familiar Admin Assistant position is something of a drag. But I'm not here to whine. I am here to share some of the most extraordinary things that I find on the internet in my day and see where the conversation takes me.

The odds of someone reading this seem less than great. But I find that most days I want to read about things that are not mainstream. The smallest byline on CNN or the 'Also in the News' on BBC is more fascinating to me than what celebrity named their child something outlandish. I won't shirk from things that are trending though--I just can't jump on the trial of the century news.

Take my find of the day:


Timeless crafts are being wiped away for something a bit... simpler.

Indiana Schools no longer find it important to teach kids cursive. I cherish cursive. I write it in birthday cards and sympathy cards, as well as my journal and pretty much everything else that I place pen to paper and the idea of a generation growing up and not knowing how to do it at all is mind-blowing. What I truly love is this memo that was put out in April about the matter.

"Indiana’s Academic Standards for English Language Arts include cursive writing in the 3rd grade. The Common Core State Standards do not include cursive writing at all. Instead, students are expected to become proficient with keyboarding skills."

I get that without my mad keyboard skills I wouldn't be able to share my ever-so-meaningful opinions with the world but come on! When the computers rise up and take us out how will we communicate if we don't have cursive?! Alright, I know there is printing and that that will still be taught in schools but really what will happen next? Once we embed keyboards in kids arms why will they need to know how to write? If when buying a house all you need to do is teleconference and digitally initial all of the documents, why bother producing pens or pencils anymore? OK, now I sound like an extremist.

My point is, we are already messing up children's education with questionably scholarly textbooks and teachers that don't have the heart for it? ("Nothing is more important to the future of our state than ensuring that today's students receive a first class education and integrity in testing is a necessary piece of that equation," Deal said. "When educators have failed to uphold the public trust and students are harmed in the process, there will be consequences.") Should we send kids on when they can't read or write? Does anyone notice? They don't need to, now that we don't require them to write it out. All they need to do is write their name on a bubble sheet and hand it in. When their scores show they can't hack it, we'll change them and send them into the work force. I'm frightened and there is nothing that can be done when teachers live in fear of the impossible standards that have been lain before them. It's OK though. We can still text and as long as we can text, we shall remain an advanced civilization.

B kewl kidd & u wl go 4r.