The Mom Weekly Volume 36: April 9, 2024
Are You An Asset or an Agent?
I heard on a podcast recently (shocking, I know!) that in political discourse, people don’t realize that they are often unwitting assets for a cause or country, even though they are well meaning.
Someone who is an “agent” is a person who fully understands they are advancing “the cause,” whatever that cause is. But an “asset” is like a tool.
(A less kind way to put it is “useful idiot” and you can read more about that here.)
I don’t mean “agent” in a negative way—I consider that a person who is an agent has agency—they are choosing to advocate for a person, cause, or point of view. Being an “asset” is potentially more problematic.
But it got me thinking, where am I an agent, and where might I be an asset?
So, for instance, I am definitely a Catholic agent. I know my faith pretty well, and I want to spread the word about positive things about the Catholic Church and the Catholic faith. (And let’s be clear, I won’t downplay bad things about and within the church.)
I am also an agent for Jane Austen. Start me on the topic of that early 19th century author, and you could be in for a long evening of proselytizing. I could help you choose which Jane Austen novel to read first. I can tell you the movie adaptations that are the best, and steer you away from bad adaptations.
It might be trickier for me to identify where I’m an asset, whether for good or ill. Perhaps it’s where I uncritically repeat a “soundbite” I’ve read or heard about in the news on a topic I perhaps know next to nothing about. The source might be correct, or it might not be.
But I think I do have a responsibility to think critically about things, and not just agree with something because I happen to like the person, or disagree with the person because I happen to loathe someone.
It goes back to having a commitment to the truth, and to finding the truth, even in our own backyards.
Remember how much I love you,
Mom
Interesting/notable:
Next Gen Personal Finance
I first learned about this nonprofit years ago, but someone referred to it online recently and I remembered how sensible and solid a lot of their information is.
I also played a few games on the group’s “arcade” — fun! I did the insurance one, and it was pretty solid. A good way to learn about personal finance topic.
One game I found super interesting is “Build Your Stax” game. I may want to write a whole post about it. See over “20 years” how your investments would do, based on real data. I wish that had been around when you kids were younger. Do you remember that stock game that was online? Not very helpful in learning about general personal finance.
The Pursuit: Enough
A YouTube of a podcast interview from a thoughtful CFP about his scaling back so he can spend time with his young family. Here is his blog post that led to the discussion. Worth watching and/or listening to.
The Problem with “Sex Assigned at Birth”—NYTimes (gift link)
An action item: Are your taxes finished?
This is the last The Mom Weekly before Tax Day—Monday, April 15 (except for those in Massachusetts and Maine, who have until April 17 to file their taxes).
If you’ve already complete your taxes, yay for you! No other action item this week, though you could do last week’s again, and unsubscribe from 10 or so email mailing lists.
What are you doing this weekend?
So, now that it’s Tuesday, what are you planning for the weekend? I’m going to suggest trying to cover four “F”s to get ideas flowing:
*faith—when are you going to Mass?
*friends—what friends will you see or connect with?
*food—any fun recipes you plan to try, or restaurants you plan to visit?
*fun—anything interesting you are going to play, watch, or do this weekend? Now’s the time to think it through, and put it on the calendar (even informally).