My husband subscribes to the Wall Street Journal, a periodical for well educated people with money to invest. It's great fun to read despite my absence from the requisite demographic. Although investing matters and global news dominate the majority of the paper, I find diversion in the less lofty sections.
Just this weekend, I happened to read an article which dominated a huge chunk of the paper. This article took great pains to assure me that the changing of the season needn't cause a decrease in my ability to be stylish. What comfort! If only I incorporate this helpful list of 50 suggestions, I may then rest easy in my on-trend lifestyle. Gone are the fears of falling behind! I had not previously realized how very likely outdated I was about to become.
Green is the new black. (And here, I'd heard it was Orange.)
Floral clothing is now for Fall.
Good China dinnerware will sweep away the informality of Summer.
New, more expensive travel options will brighten the shorter days. Where were you going to spend this season's vacation?
Let us not forget that a good year's wage spent on a handbag will bring several weeks of personal satisfaction!
The right foods, a sense of adventure, and winterizing the Summer home are all that need to be done to keep me right on a par with the Jones's.
Personally, I don't give quite that much thought to my Seasonal Status Symbols. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for a fresh wreath on the front door to announce a change in the weather. I'm clear on the need for different clothes, and even an update of style. But, honestly, this newspaper has my head spinning. Do you suppose that real people worry about all that kind of thing? It's fun to think about all the money I'd spend redecorating, but it's more like a fantasy for me. I'm content with that, too. There's no need to reinvent myself every season.
I, as a reader of this esteemed newspaper, am confronted with issues of politics, finances, and fashion, within the course of an hour. I can turn the page on Syria as easily as I can devour news of a new luxury vehicle. All of these topics are absorbed as I peruse the paper from the comfort of my air conditioned living room. Nothing from the pages has much of an impact on my daily life. Isn't it strange?
As I skim over the headlines on my computer screen, I tend not to differentiate between which items have great value, and which are tawdry nonsense. I skim over them, and run down to switch the laundry around. The laundry has immediate relevance to my life.
I think that this constant inundation of information is often counterproductive. As horrible as some of the atrocities in our world are, knowing about them can take a great deal of my energy that might be better spent within the confines of my own little fiefdom. Knowing about these atrocities doesn't put me in a position to help. (Now, obviously, it's important to know what the issues of the day are so that I can make informed decisions within our democratic process. However, I don't see that the superfluity of information necessarily contributes to savvy voters...but I digress.)
My kids are so constantly dealing with information that has little or nothing to do with them. Look at texting or facebook, for example. When they are plugged in to that stuff, they have constant input which has no real meaning to their life. They do imagine that it's important, as I do when I pour over the news. If only they were as concerned with cleaning their room, or doing laundry, or homework....
I think they may be getting mixed messages from me. Like, now, for instance. I'm blogging as I expect Aaron to get his schoolwork done. Nice parenting.
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