learning to fly

My ignorance as to what was happening on the global stage became very apparent to me when the Syrian conflict (explained here and comically here) went viral after the actions of August 21st. When it came down to my opinion on the situation and the course of action - or inaction - that I believed my country should take, I didn't have the first clue. I realized that my main source of news came from BuzzFeed's hot page, and I thus came to the conclusion that I had to get a better news outlet. While the BuzzFeed home page does in fact produce some phenomenal articles that are very informational, I was looking for a more credible source to get my news from. I came across The Daily Beast, which I now go to religiously each morning as I sip on my coffee (yes - I've finally converted after 23 and a half long years without it) and get acquainted with what's going on in the world around me. The site provides a cheat sheet that gives blurbs on the main articles of the day as well as a link where you can read the articles in their entirety. As the days progressed, I realized I was actually deriving enjoyment from educating myself in the news. I now laugh at obvious jokes or incredulous statements, and I have confidence that if somebody were to come talk to me about my opinion on the United States' potential involvement in the Syrian conflict.

Over the years, specifically the past few months, I have been blinded by the social medias constant barrage of Kimye's baby, Miley's antics (more on that later), and viral videos - which are all good and fine except that my attention to them resulted in my incompetence when it came to politics and "important" world events. If somebody were to come and ask me my opinion on Dennis Rodman's friendship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (yes, seriously) I would have returned the question with a blank stare. Just because I graduated a year ago doesn't mean I stop learning or putting forth an effort to be a contributing member of society. It's now my job to continue to educate myself and develop opinions on matters that I in turn voice in an attempt to better the land that I call home.