Maybe Einstein wasn't as smart as we thought...

I was reading this article this morning about how genius may not be as easy to find these days as it was when Einstein was around. I have no idea why, but I thought for a moment and then it hit me. Maybe the only reason why everyone thought Einstein was so smart is because there was just a whole bunch of shit we didn't know back then. Hmmmm? Perhaps it wasn't genius after all. Maybe it was just that he was one of the few people who were looking for answers past the everyday, common responses to problems and questions.

Today, there are even fewer of these inquisitive types out there. Most seem content to complain about what they don't like, but never offer solutions to the problems. They may know what to do and they may in fact, have a genius-level solution to the issue; however, they are reluctant to share because they don't want to be bothered with the repercussions of greatness. I see this all of the time. People out there who are willing to accept the status quo because they don't want to do anything that might create more work for themselves. It's astounding, really. For example, I recently had a substitute teacher fill in for me when I was out sick. I had left some lesson plans on my desk that included having our fourth and fifth graders read books aloud in front of the class. No, I wasn't trying to torture them. They actually enjoy doing this. I give the students who wish to read a page the opportunity to do so. No one is pressured into doing this if they don't want to. It gives them a chance to feel good about themselves, to feel important as they stand up there and tell a story. The point is to get them reading and listening.

In any case, I had a note from my sub when I got back that this exercise didn't seem to go very well because some students weren't reading loudly enough or whatever. She wrote, and I quote, "You make things much too hard on yourself if you don't mind my saying..." I read this and I thought, "WTF, byotch?" This is what I think to myself when I hear something so absurdly stupid as her statement. How am I making things too hard on myself by allowing the kids to try their hand at reading aloud? Pardon me for trying to be creative. It really doesn't hurt me at all to do this with the kids and when I'm working with them, I actually tell them to speak up or I help them sound out a word that is unfamiliar to them. That's what teaching types are supposed to do, right?

Obviously, I was a little pissed about the comment. Granted, small minds often leave a trail behind them that shows they were there. Little destructions that tear down the progress the rest of us have been working doggedly to make. I'm sure this person isn't stupid. Hell, she may be extremely intelligent. But, if you are lazy and somewhat unmotivated, it might come across to others that you are just an idiot. Nothing I can do about that one, she'll have to work on that one herself.

The point of my ranting this morning is that the idea of being a genius may not necessarily be as great as what we once thought it was. It's likely that lots of people have some unmotivated genius in there somewhere, but what good is it? Unmotivated brilliance is well, not very brilliant at all. It's kind of dull, actually...kind of not bright...well, you get the picture.

To further illustrate what I'm saying, go out and get the movie, "Idiocracy" with Luke Wilson. You'll see what I mean. It's a movie about a slacker who gets cryogenically frozen and brought back in the future. He's the most average person on the planet at the time he's frozen, but by the time they thaw him, he's considered a genius. Maybe that's good news for some of us. Perhaps our mediocrity will serve us better in the future. Don't stick yourself in the freezer just yet, though...

Until next time...

Subscribe to Benston Blogs by Email

Going gray...hurray!

Is it possible to feel younger once you see the telltale signs of getting older? For example, while drying my hair today, I noticed that I am starting to see a few gray hairs. It got me thinking. My mother doesn't even have gray hair or at least I can't see any. Granted, my hair is dark and they show up a lot better than they do in my mother's blonde hair. My mother acts a hell of a lot younger than I do, so maybe that's why. Who knows? The point of all of this babbling is this: The gray hairs didn't make me feel old.

A couple of years ago as I was approaching 35, I felt like a very old, very out of touch, very not with it aging hag. Sounds harsh, I know, but this is how I felt. It was completely unreasonable and probably not warranted, however, I just couldn't shake the feeling that I was not aging well. I had lots of things on my mind and had convinced myself that I had to have reached a certain place in my life when I turned 35. I should have finished college, settled down some, had a great job, etc. Although I had actually done all of these things, I just wasn't satisfied. In the course of getting all of these things done, I had almost completely forgotten how to have fun.

Sure, I still went out to sing karaoke on the rare occasions when my husband and I could get a sitter for our daughter. We also managed to do a few fun things as a family, but there was all of this stress. This bunch of crap that made the fun almost too much of a chore to bother with. So, as you might have guessed, we made some changes or at least I did. I started trying to find ways to get in touch with the old me. Well, not the "old" me, but the previous me. The one I used to actually like. I started trying to make time for my own hobbies and things that used to make me happy. Before long, these little steps added up to one big shift in my attitude. By the time I turned 36 this year, I felt much better about life. Granted, I still have some days, as every woman does, when I feel like an old hag. The difference now is that I'm actually looking forward to turning forty. The gray hairs made me smile a little because I know now that they aren't going to mean I can't be myself. They just mean I'll look more distinguished while I'm being me. ;)

Until next time...



Subscribe to Benston Blogs by Email

The only time I get sentimental...

There's something about the holidays that brings out my sentimental side. Most people wouldn't believe that I listen to Christmas music in my car, that I always try to put up my Christmas tree right after Thanksgiving, that I like to watch the same sappy Christmast movies over and over throughout November and December or that I look forward to seeing all of the lights and decorations go up each year. I just don't seem to be that way in real life. The truth is, Christmas has been the most consistent thing in my life over all these years and for this, I have set aside a special place in my heart for all things Christmas.

The earliest memories of Christmas I have are of my father being on the road working and my mother and I spending most of the season alone. There were always lots of presents back then because I was an only child for six years. One year, I remember getting a guitar which I promptly broke. How did I know that tightening up the strings would cause such a catastrophe? I was only about five years old and I really had no idea how to approach the instrument. Needless to say, I never learned how to play.

Just a few years later, when there were a couple of sisters added to the mix, Christmas was always time to visit relatives and eat pies and candies that were brought in by relatives we only saw a few times a year. It was the time when everyone enjoyed being together and things didn't seem quite so complicated.

There were some Christmases when things weren't so great, but I always remember feeling good about this time of year because people made an effort to be together. Whether that came from guilt or holiday spirit didn't matter, the point was that we were together. Now, years later, as everyone has either divorced, moved away or both, it's harder to get together. Members of the family have gotten older, some have strayed from reality, some have just disappeared altogether, some are sick, some have passed away. Though this time of year could be a time of sadness, I can still find contentment in hearing the same old songs each year, watching the same old movies, and looking at the same old lights.

I'm not sure this makes sense to anyone but me, however, I think my point is this: Though families may change or go through difficult times, the fact remains that every year we have the opportunity to make things right again. Actually, every day we have this opportunity but most people don't think of it until the holidays roll around. That's okay. Every little bit helps. Even if there are those whom we can't change, we can still enjoy what the season is about and appreciate that it means something to most everyone.

So, as I sit here in the dark (except for the lights on my Christmas tree), writing this, I hope you can think back on your Christmas experiences and find reasons why this is a great time for just enjoying life and being hopeful. Good things can still happen and most likely will. And if you can't believe that, just turn on your radio and find that station that plays all Christmas music all the time. If that doesn't make you smile, then you're not trying hard enough.

Until next time...


Subscribe to Benston Blogs by Email

Attention: Middle Aged Babes...

Just in time for the holidays, I've found another great book for women. How To Be a Middle-Aged Babe by Marilyn Suzanne Miller is a wonderful collection of information for those of us who want to age gracefully. This guidebook to maintaining your babe status well into your middle-aged years is a must have for women with a sense of humor and perhaps a nice hint to those with none.

I wasn't sure about this one because ordinarily I hate the word "babe"; however, the information on the front cover drew me in and I just had to take a look. Not that I worry about such things, but this book had great tips for coping with or at least developing a better understanding of just about every aspect of a middle-aged woman's life. Questions like, "How can I be both hot and old at the same time?" or "How can I tell if I'm married or single?" had me laughing my ass off. Figuratively, of course. But wouldn't it be nice if...never mind. In any case, this book would make a great gift between sisters, mothers and daughters, best friends, etc. The book has been praised by such celebrities as Penny Marshall, Julie Kavner and Laraine Newman.

With hilarious tips about beauty and how to handle your finances, this book has something for every woman. If you are looking for a fun read, pick this one up today.

Until next time...have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

Subscribe to Benston Blogs by Email