Happy Friday, which is also National Eat Your Jello Day (I haven’t had Jello since colonoscopy prep and I still don’t feel like eating it again) and National Paper Bag Day. Which reminds me that it’s been a little over 2 years since the plastic bag ban in NJ and while it’s nice not having plastic bags in the trees and storm drains, I miss how useful they were for wrapping up trash and for collecting poop from the backyard. I should just find some larger compostable plastic bags.
Today is another Summer Friday (I think we’re halfway through) and since it’s raining heavily I’m having an indoor activity day. WM and I went to breakfast and then to the Library book sale where I did not buy any books but I did buy some CDs. Once upon a time I had a bunch of CDs, but then I ripped them to my computer, tossed the CDs, suffered a hard drive failure and lost my music. This was before affordable cloud backups were a thing. And sure, I could buy the CDs on iTunes but not for $2 each. Later I’m going to rip these CDs and store them in a box somewhere. I’ve learned.
I started PT this week and hoo boy my shoulder is sore. We (my PT pro and me) think a lot of it is postural. Four years of WFH means I don’t really have to get up often, because all of my meetings are just a click away instead of down the hall and around the corner. As a result, I can and do slump for hours. I have new exercises to do and am charging my Apple watch to track my standing activity again.
Here’s the Friday 5! The old college try means they are from college applications and are pretty deep.
- If you could create a new academic subject, what would it be and why?
Digital media literacy, which may already exist. I think the years of promoting STEM subjects have damaged us because the art of nuance and context are lost. The curriculum would include: how to spot AI; how to spot bots; how to spot Photoshopped ads; how to avoid scams; why looking up something in Google takes less time than asking somebody on Reddit what a word means; VPNs and pricing; etc. - Describe a time when you stood up for something you believed in. What were the challenges, and what was the outcome?
I attended a town meeting on Tuesday about preserving a farm that my township recently purchased as green, open space. I specifically attended because I did not want the tract paved over and turned into pickleball courts. I have no grudge against pickleball, but we don’t need to accommodate every new, hot hobby that comes along. The mayor confirmed that the tract will be kept for passive recreation so I consider it a win. If you click here and look at the first photo, I’m sitting on the left side aisle and my foot is sticking into the aisle a bit. It was my first-ever town meeting and probably not my last. - What is one question you wish you knew the answer to? Why is this question important to you?
What happens after we die. If I knew there was no afterlife I wouldn’t behave any worse than I do now, but I would stop believing that the spirits of my loved ones are watching over me and will meet me on the other side, wherever that is. Maybe I’d stop crying at the Rainbow Bridge poem everytime I read it. - Describe a time when you collaborated with others to achieve a common goal. What role did you play, and what did you learn from the experience?
A lot of my job requires collaborating with others to achieve a common goal. My role is that of the worrier, who comes up with the “what ifs?” Why not plan for potential failure scenarios in advance? I probably annoy the shit out of some people, but organizations need people like me, people who can think both operationally AND at a high level. - Describe a time when you felt like an outsider. How did you overcome this feeling?
Every day and I never did.
And that’s that! Maybe I’ll go to the gym this afternoon and work on the non-shoulder parts. Or maybe I’ll slouch somewhere and read. I’ve finished 13 books since Memorial Day weekend. Will I reach my 30 book goal? All signs point to yes!
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