What If?

I have always considered myself a good student. I used to self-assign homework. That does not mean I am capable of teaching myself. I much prefer to follow smart people and soak up their knowledge.

My Internet connection went out on Friday. I plugged and unplugged. I went a little crazy. Then I resigned myself to the fact that it would not be fixed until after the weekend.

Years ago I was on a magazine assignment and I had the honor of interviewing some very talented and accomplished people. One was Scott Jones who invented voicemail. (This is not a lofty statement like Al Gore inventing the Internet -- Scott Jones actually received several patents for this idea.)

Here's when I figured out that I will never be that smart or make a b'jillion dollars with an idea. He told me a story and I'll boil it down to this:

In college, he had a fascination with computers. (He's my age so please remember that the memory on your cell phone used to take up an entire building.)

He took out a teensy classified ad in a national magazine asking for people to send their old computers to him.

He convinced his parents to turn their basement into a laboratory.

He took them apart and put them back together until he completed the puzzle.

He jotted idea after idea. He plugged away until he understood.

During our interview he pointed to a pile of notebooks. He will not run out of ideas.

He's started several more companies and received several more patents.

Being a good student is a good idea. The smartest people I meet also combine that with asking, "What if ..?"

I Pick Kind

Throughout my life thus far, I have been surrounded by brilliant people. Some are phenomenally talented. Some have multiple degrees. Others have great common sense and what we used to call street smarts.

I'm awed by smart people. I want to bask in their aura and hope some of their brain cells and talents get absorbed through osmosis. I'm infinitely curious about how they became who they are. I'm not impressed with money, the huge house or the Ivy League school. I'm impressed with people who take their lot in life and use it to improve themselves and hopefully, the world.

Mostly, I am in awe of people who choose kindness. That doesn't seem to be in favor these days. We're all justifiably frightened of sexual predators, car jackers, rapists, serial killers, etc. We turn our heads and look the other way. We lock our doors and turn on the alarm. Blame the media or the Internet but I think a lot of this is blown out of proportion. We just know more now because we have access to it.

It's kind of like being struck by lightning. Yeah, it might happen but the odds are in your favor.

I crave learning and I love it when someone thinks I'm smart. But, in the end, the world would be a better place if we chose to be kind.

Holding Court

I'm watching and listening to the husband on the phone. He's holding court and he's damn good at it. I'm trying to decide if it would be weird or rude to take notes. (It's a little like watching my Crossman cousins -- I always want to copy their behavior or at least, take notes for later.)

We've made some decisions. We have a bit of a game plan. It's scary and an awful day. We must keep certain people notified. The husband does this very well. He explains things. Someone on the other end makes a comment. He either gets loud or does the Elmer Fudd thing: VEWWY, VEWWY QUIET!

Then he becomes the smart person I know and love. I watch and I learn.

Smart People

I was one of those geeky students. College was my heyday. Name a topic and you could probably find a class about it. It's a good thing my parents were adamant about the four-year plan or I would probably still be in college.

Some people are afraid of hiring or hanging out with smart people. I do not understand this, even a little bit.

I am surrounded (and sometimes overwhelmed) by smart people. I was raised by smart people who continue to advise me. I am married to an extremely smart man. Even when we disagree, I'm learning.

When I worked in the corporate world, my goal was to hire the smartest and most creative people. I may have trained them but they also taught me. Many have gone on to successful and lucrative careers.

Now that the baby has moved on to college, the occasional political/religious debates in this house are more interesting. His opinion comes from a completely different perspective and I pay attention.

My extended family is filled with talented and creative people. I do not hesitate to ask for their advice. My circle of friends includes opinionated, educated and warm-hearted people. The oldies are a wealth of information. Even when I'm frustrated, I get it that they have something to say. They're not dummies and their life experiences are history lessons living in my home.

I know some stupid people but not very many.

One of my favorite things to say is, "I don't understand that. Please explain it to me." My first father-in-law (one of the smartest people I know) is my "go to" person on a number of topics. He gives me books and magazines. He "dumbs it down" with complicated issues to help me understand. I'm not calling myself dumb; just acknowledging that really complicated things like the Middle East take me a while to comprehend. Plus, he doesn't push his opinions on me. He lets me figure out my own opinion.

I'm never afraid to say, "I don't understand." I'm terribly afraid of people who think they know it all and can't admit they don't get it.