illegible

a couple weeks ago, i added a sidebar to my blog called legible, where i could list all the things i read that truly moved, relaxed, fascinated, uplifted, or inspired me. i am a bit afraid everything is going to come from the new yorker and ny times -- more or less the required reading for anyone who considers themselves informed -- but hopefully that will motivate me to broaden my reading habits.

normally, they make terrific diversions, enriching my time on a crowded streetcar or breaking up a monotonous work day of writing sop documents for our customer support team. but today, the times failed. failed miserably.

starting as i often do in the most emailed box, i clicked on the most written about story, For Girls, It’s Be Yourself, and Be Perfect, Too.

it's long, especially for a newspaper article. it requires you to click six times to reach the end, and the only thing that got me through it was the knowledge that i was going to rail about it on my blog.

basically, it's a woe is me piece about rich girls, who have to balance being rich and the rigors of making sure that they're going to stay that way. yes, the horror of having to take honors and ap classes so they can go to the ivy league school that their parents are alma maters of, all while trying to be pretty.

yes, i understand college is competitive these days. but my sympathy doesn't extend to crying adolescents who didn't make the grade for williams and will have to settle for smith. and call me a snob, but when i read about the huge sigh of relief that came when one student received her acceptance letter from usc (who knew the university of spoiled children had those? i always assumed parents just sent in the first semester's tuition with the "application".), what little credibility that had survived for the first five pages of the story instantly vanished.

so to the "amazing girls" of newton high, i say good luck.

not that you'll need it, since you're rich already.