It's All a Blur

Do you remember what year these major events occurred?

* Active American military involvement in Vietnam ended?
* The U.S.A. first put a man on the moon?
* The Three Mile Island mishap occurred?

Active American military involvement in Vietnam ended in 1975.
The U.S.A. first put a man on the moon in 1969.
The Three Mile Island mishap occurred in 1979.

As I explain in Breathing Space: Living & Working at a Comfortable Pace in a Sped-Up Society, not knowing these dates doesn't mean you're not educated. Actually, it's the opposite. In a sense, you're over-educated. You know more about current affairs than most people of any previous generation. To keep events in context, you have to:

* Recognize that you can't keep up with everything. Be more conscious of where you'll offer your time and attention.

* Look for broad-based patterns to the information you receive, rather than attempt to pay attention to all manner of detail.

* Don't beat yourself up psychologically for not keeping up with every little thing. No one can, and unless you're employed by the media, there is no prize for trying.