FULL QUESTION: My son’s going off to college but doesn’t know what he wants to study. Is that a problem? Here’s an update.
When we ran this question two years ago, Red’s daughter was starting college. Reviewing this, she says her answer remains the same. As does Black’s …
When we ran this question two years ago, Red’s daughter was starting college. Reviewing this, she says her answer remains the same. As does Black’s …
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In a word, no! And
that comes from someone who knew what I wanted to study (theater), but even
though I graduated with honors, I proceeded to do absolutely nothing with
it. The good news is my daughter, who
seems to have
grown up in the
blink of an eye
, learned from my mistakes. She's going off to college in the fall, and I'd
love to share some of what was discussed at orientation last week.
It's funny because it was, in many ways, a recap of so many of Black's soapboxes, which I've come to understand, appreciate, and completely agree with. The primary message was that it's important to prepare students with skills, but how shaping them as individuals of character (one of my soapboxes ever since I read the book "A Question Of Character: A Life About John F. Kennedy" that, although written almost 25 years ago, may be even more relevant today) with the ability to think critically was even more important. Especially as we don't know what the future holds in terms of new (or changed, or even obsolete) careers. |
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Red and I had
very different approaches to college, and while she was the "better
student" in terms of grades, she looked at her college degree as the
objective. Whereas I saw college as a
step along the way, so approached it with a very different mindset and
perspective. I was open to learning new
things and exploring opportunities. And,
I focused as much on developing
soft skills as I did technical skills, as I recognized those
skills would always be necessary – both professionally and personally. I also realized that learning never ends and
now, at 60+ years old, am still committed to being a
lifelong learner.
More specifically, in terms of your son, college is an excellent opportunity for him to take classes that he thinks he might enjoy or even classes he has never been exposed to before. Plus, internships and volunteer work are great ways to get experience and help decide the direction he may want to go (or not go). Along the way, he should network as that, along with school counselors and professors, will help him gain insight into future career paths (and be valuable in other ways). |
March is Women’s History Month, so what better time to reflect on how women can inspire other women to do amazing things? We’re rerunning a Q&A from a few years ago because celebrating women’s accomplishments is worth repeating and rereading … And it shouldn’t happen only in March!
P. S. – Betty White made this list, but how many of these trailblazing women do you recognize?
| Even with two daughters, and a sister who has been a role model for them and other girls (at speaking engagements, girls and boys are always surprised to learn she was the first woman to race the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway), it wasn’t until last year that I learned there even was a Women’s History Month. (Which is embarrassing as I claim to love history.) But once I made it a point to not only take notice of stories of women in history, but also women making history (for example, Wally Funk), I realized there are so many inspirational women – you just have to look for their stories. |
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It is the
21
st Century; we should not need a Women’s History Month to make
sure that we remember and honor all the contributions and accomplishments of women. (And, I will not get into my opinion of the
word "
herstory.”)
But, there are many great ways for us to celebrate. Find stories you find inspirational, and then share them with others. Donate (time or money) to an organization that helps women. Make an effort to support women-owned businesses. Or, maybe something as simple (and as enjoyable) as listening to your favorite female artists and musicians, reading female authors, or watching movies about strong independent women. |
Red
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Black
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FULL QUESTION: It’s hotter than ever …do you have any tips for looking “nice” during the heat of the summer?
Summers are hotter than ever, but it’s always been a challenge to look put together (forget polished) in August. Especially in the Houston area, so here's an “Ask Red & Black” summer rerun … because some things never go out of style …
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I'm laughing because I suspect Black would argue that I
rarely look "nice" in the sense that I rarely "dress up". Even before the pandemic, unless I had a Red
& Black business meeting or speaking engagement, my normal "look" was that
of super comfy – workout or very casual clothing and minimal makeup. Here in Texas, where the heat and humidity are
oppressive, I'm always looking for tips because the moment you step outside,
you're going to start sweating, your
makeup will drip, and your hair will either frizz or wilt (neither's
a good look for me). So, I keep my
skincare simple and summer-friendly – extremely lightweight, tinted facial
moisturizer with a high SPF (so I only need a single product) and waterproof
mascara.
I've never been very creative when managing my long hair for the summer, but my daughter let me in on a secret when she straightened my hair for me. Unlike my rushed approach, she took an extra 10 minutes to do it in smaller sections, which looked great when my hair was down but, amazingly, even made my ponytail look "finished". Taking a little more time to do it right makes a huge difference as now my hair stands up to the heat and humidity. (Good news is she's always willing to do it for me, bad news is that she goes to college in a few months, so I'll have to learn how to do it myself.) |
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When I started racing cars in the mid-1990s, I cut my hair very
short so I could easily style it with some water and hair goo when I removed my
helmet, which makes it perfect for summer. (Plus, I calculated that I could
save over 10 hours/month, or five full days a year, by not dealing with my
hair.)
In terms of clothing, it is a function of where you are going or where you work (obviously, if you are in the banking industry, you will dress very differently than someone who works for a design or marketing firm). For the last few decades, I have worn the same "uniform" – dark slacks or jeans, white shirt, blazer, and colorful Hermès shawl. In the summer, I select pieces that are light-colored, loose-fitting, and breathable fabrics, but if I had to give one tip, it would be to wear layers since going in and out of air-conditioning can be a challenge, although I see it as a fashion opportunity. In fact, that is how my "signature" shawls started as, regardless of the season, I would always have one with me to handle changes in temperature. |
It’s 2024 … you wouldn’t think there’d be so much controversy over Black history, which makes Black History Month even more important. We loved it when the question below was asked of us two years ago, so we’re rerunning it, but found a new article about little-known facts about Black History Month we found very interesting. Let us know what you think …
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I’m a little embarrassed to admit that it was only a few
years ago that I learned about February being
Black History Month, and that it was founded to
shine a light on
accomplishments
that might otherwise go unnoticed and unappreciated. I’ve always loved history and wish that I had
been taught more of this in school as I strongly believe that if we all were
exposed to people from different races, ethnicities, religions (comparative
religions was one of my favorite college classes), it would go a long to
helping us appreciate those differences.
Besides history, I love movies, so I love when the combination teaches us something unexpected. For example, one of my favorite movies, Hidden Figures, tells the stories of three amazing Black women who were mathematicians working at NASA in the 1960s who truly broke boundaries, defied expectations, and gave us a window into their lives. |
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I like to consider myself a lifelong learner and love to
research things that pique my interest or intrigue me, so I was fascinated by
the
history of Black History
Month
, and its evolution from Negro History Week. The initial week was chosen because it included the birthdays of both
Abraham Lincoln
(February 12) and the abolitionist Frederick Douglass (February 14), men who were already celebrated by the Black community, and
who encouraged all Americans to study the little-known history of Blacks.
As an interesting sidenote, Douglass was also a lifelong supporter of women’s rights and died just hours after attending a meeting with suffragists (including his friend Susan B. Anthony). |