By Sarah Campbell
scampbell@salisburypost.com
I was only half listening to the acceptance speeches during the Golden Globe Awards Sunday, but my ears perked up when I heard the following:
“I want to thank all the female nominees tonight for helping demonstrate to my young daughter that elite is not a bad word, it’s an aspirational one. Honey, look around, smart girls have more fun, and you’re one of them.”
I quickly Googled a few lines and found several Tweets.
It turns out Aaron Sorkin sent the message out to his daughter, Roxy, during his acceptance speech for best screenplay for “The Social Network.”
Sorkin’s right. Being smart is something to strive for, not shy away from.
And, in my experience, being smart can help you overcome almost anything life throws your way.
Here’s one example.
When I searched a list of names to find out who made the cheerleading squad in seventh grade I found my name at the bottom under the bold word “alternate.”
All I could think about was how all of my friends would be wearing the regular uniform and I would be stuck in the back donning a white polo and red skirt. Alternates definitely stood out.
When my mom picked me up from school that day she didn’t join my pity party, she just told me to work hard and maybe I’d make the “regular” team the following year.
I took her advice. I picked myself up, put on that hideous uniform and cheered my heart out.
I also decided to search for my niche elsewhere. I joined MathCounts, a club I had always perceived as dorky, and met some very amazing people.
I ended up being the captain of the cheerleading squad the following year and it wasn’t just because I practiced like crazy, it’s because I joined MathCounts.
MathCounts helped me come out of my shell, something that is absolutely vital if you’re going to stand in front of screaming fans at football games every week.
Being around people who loved math just as much as I did put me at ease with myself and gave me the confidence to go into cheerleading tryouts and rock.
In this case, being smart definitely gave me the upper hand.
Smart enough to listen, smart enough to learn from my mistakes and smart enough to find my own niche.
When I didn’t make the softball team the following year, my parents reminded me that it would give me more time to focus on school.
They said softball would have been fun, but education would mean more down the road.
I can honestly say not making the softball team didn’t ruin my life, like I thought it would at the time.
Being a “smart girl” rather than a “fun,” “pretty” or “athletic” girl has always served me well.
I figure the good times end, beauty fades and, eventually, you stop playing the game, but knowledge sticks.
Sarah Campbell covers education for the Post.