The other day I was sitting at my computer, working on one of my projects, and I came to the sad, sad realization that I already know everything that’s worth knowing.

Ha! Got you!

That little stroke of sadness lasted for approximately ten seconds, and then I realized with stunning horror that I’m a cynical and arrogant person who’s been tricked by her own intelligence into thinking that there is such a thing as Too Much Knowing.

So sad. Weep for me, beloveds!

Every day could be a glorious new adventure into previously untouched wilderness of knowledge, but instead I’m sleepily walking on the beaten path, letting my laziness keep me from encountering adventure. Wowser! I could cry for myself right now.

Instead I’ll tell you about how I got over that little burst of existential melancholy. It’s called the “Open Your Darn Eyes” technique. It works like magic. See, all you have to do is get up from your seat, take a step in any direction (or two, or even a little car ride if you’ve got it bad), and look.

Learn from the Wise Ones

On Monday we got another confession out of our illustrious designer (ha ha, get it?). You might never have guessed it, but Deb told us that she never liked talking on the phone.

I know. My mouth dropped open when I heard that too.

How could someone as likable, friendly, easy-going, and awesome as Deb Dorchak not like talking on the telephone? That defies the laws of nature. It’s supposed to be the recluses who shy away from phone conversations, the anti-social homebodies who peel grapes with their teeth and sit around all day without any pants on.

(Yes, actually, I am wearing pants right now, thankyouverymuch. Sheesh.)

The funny thing is, as soon as the shock wears off, it kinda makes sense. Deb’s a writer, a designer, someone who works uber well from the backstage. She’s not going to volunteer to MC at the talent show and you’d have to force her to sign up to be in it, but she’s the type that would jump at the opportunity to design the set, make the programs, arrange the lighting, and create posters for advertisements.

Which is, to make my point, the reason why you’d want her on your team. Her goal isn’t fame or to impress people with how sweetly she can speak; her goal is to get the job done and to make sure that any job that is done is the best that it can be. If that ain’t the definition of a team player, what is?

Lesson learned: you don’t have to like talking on the phone to be awesome. So there.

On Thursday we got to look at a cool picture of a snow monkey blocking its child’s eyes from seeing the world. There are at least two approaches we could take for this; either the mama monkey is being paranoid and cruelly preventing her child from seeing the glorious world around her, or else she’s being a conscientious parent and protecting her from the evils of this generation like Desperate Housewives and Twilight. You tell me.

But there’s no doubt that Allison’s article was awesome. We learned about the html of the header, and there was another picture of monkey mama and baby (the conversation kind of got interrupted by the delighted ooohs) to accompany the wrap-up. Dudes, don’t miss Allison’s lessons. They’re sharp, clear, and irreplaceable.

You Looking?

I hope that nobody comes to that place of mistaken genius. You’re a smart bunch, don’t get me wrong, but there’s always more to be learned and a thousand and one ways to learn it. Remember that the joy is in the journey, in teaching those lessons as well as listening to them. Be a teacher, speak your mind, share what lessons you have to give—but don’t forget that you have two ears and one mouth for a reason.

And smack me if I ever start sounding like a know-it-all. Siriusly…

Previous

HTML: Header Accessibility

Next

Who Spilled the Beans?

Related posts you might also like:

• One Ringy-Dingy…
• Sirius Sunday: The Annie Sullivan Lesson
• New Site Launch: Behind the Words
• Sirius Sunday: Rose's Nose is the Enemy of Happiness
• Why Being a Loser Isn't Always a Bad Thing