Sunday paper

I picked up the Sunday paper on Wednesday and have been nibbling on it since then. You know I love to read, but I am not very current on news or opinions (I also love NPR but I rarely get a chance to just sit and listen to that with my kids around). Hence, I came home with the paper. If you have a grandma, then you have probably been sent newspaper articles in the mail. I love to get them because it shows you what they are interested in and what they think you are interested in. I read this article and thought, 'I am going to send this to Kasie,' and then laughed. How old fashioned of me, I'll blog about it instead. (Actually, I may still mail this to my friend since she doesn't read my blog!)
The Elusive Big Idea
Anyway, in this opinion article the author is talking about how we are of an information age and that although we have more information available than ever, we do not have enough time to digest the information.
'We prefer knowing to thinking because knowing has more immediate value. It keeps us in the loop, keeps us connected to our friends and our cohort. Ideas are too airy, too impractical, too much work for too little reward. Few talk ideas. Everyone talks information, usually personal information. Where are you going? What are you doing? Who are you seeing? These are today's big questions.'
He points out that although we are living in a time when many inventions are being created in the marketplace, few ideas are being created. That thinkers are in short supply.
'What the future portends is more and more information Everest of it. There won't be anything we won't know. But there will be no one thinking about it.'
As I continue to fight the battle against facebook, I feel supported by a thinker. I love to read nonfiction. I love to listen to NPR and challenge what I already think. I like going to book group and having time to think about what I have read. Don't get me wrong: I am interested in what my friends are doing and how cute their kids are. But I only need to know that sparingly. I've got kids to teach how to problem solve, how to build strong character, and how to be firm in the faith. I don't see how a day by day play of my friends lives will make me better at any of that.