Month: September 2012

As the Millennial generation ages, will print media disappear?

I do not think that I have ever seen an article that did not have the word technology and the word millennial on the same page.

Millennials, generally thought to be the people born between 1976 and 1984, are the stereotypes with smartphones for an appendage, news source, road map, and entertainment.

I just came from a family reunion of baby boomers and their children (millenials) and grandchildren.  I remember us baby boomers talking about the sports page, sometimes the op ed section, the news, what we got from the newspaper.

Every millennial (21 in total) at the reunion had a smartphone.  One, who is in veterinary school, talked about his touchscreen laptop that allows him to write longhand on the screen and converts his notes to text that he saves as PowerPoint.

Most of the baby boomers at the reunion are newspaper subscribers, but the millennials subscribe to a magazine or two but not to a newspaper.

So I am just wondering if print may eventually disappear.

Rub Some Dirt on It and Get Back in the Game

Rub Some Dirt on It and Get Back in the Game

A high school football coach viewed being hurt and being injured as the two categories for handling medical issues on the field.   If a person was hurt, the person continued to play.  If the person was injured, the player left the field to receive first aid and if necessary medical treatment.

The coach had an expression for those hurts that neither broke the skin nor required further medical evaluation.  He would tell the players to, “Rub some dirt on it.”

To me, the coach was taking the players’ mind off the little pains in sports and letting the players get mentally back into the game.

Hurt feelings in the work place can be like be pains in sports.  Somebody may say something or behave in a way that hurts my feelings.  What the person said or does is not justification for a  grievance.

If I get angry and raise the issue to a higher level by saying or doing something to hurt the person’s feelings in return, invariably I make matters worse.

On those occasions when I am hurt and not injured, I can make the situation better if I let the matter pass.  Rather than remain angry and throw dirt at the person, I can just reach down in my mind where I feel the pain and “rub some dirt on it.”

The Happiness Habit

I have  heard that it is impossible to smile and be sad.  I can never remember to test the idea when I am sad.

Motivational speakers often emphasize the importance of thinking positive thoughts.  I have heard the expression “fake until you make it.”  I take this to mean act successful and happy and you will be successful and happy.

When I was in high school, I had a multi-millionaire (owned banks, a ranch, a successful restaurant, and other businesses) tell me that if you laugh the world laughs with you.  If you cry, you cry alone.  I decided not to argue the point since my father worked for this millionaire.

So today, I am going to use happiness as a tool.  I know me pretty well and I know that as the day goes along how I feel may shift as normal moods pass along, but even if I have to lie, I am going to tell everyone that I am happy.  I am going to laugh. I am going to smile at everyone I meet.  Even if I have to fake it till I make it, this is going to be a make me happy and make other people happy day.  I am going to use happiness as my tool.

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