Filter the Fluff: Thoughtfully Written Articles in a Sea of Filler Content

If there is one thing I do more than anything else, it is read.

I am always reading something. There is always a book on my nightstand and at least three more "on deck" nearby. There is also always a few library books on hold or in queue at my local library; I have one ready for pickup at this very moment. My Goodreads list is long, and there have been actual times at night when I chose finishing a book over curling up under the comfort of my SO. As I type this, I realize how horrible it sounds. But these are my truths.

A while back I wrote about how I get so free magazine subscriptions, I failed to mention the reason why I subscribe to so many: because I love reading the articles. There is nothing better, to me, on a leisurely Saturday afternoon than being able to sit on the sofa in front of the tv with a stack of unread magazine issues. I love it. (At the moment, W magazine has my favorite pieces, and I even get digital copies of Nylon each month, which I promptly download to my iBooks folder.)

But wait, there's more!

I also have a carefully curated digital RSS feed, constantly pinging me throughout the day when there is a new article. If something catches my eye, I will click on it (and I am no sucker for clickbaity headlines either - I have mastered the art of quality article discernment) (which means I pass on quite a few). If I am swimming in work, I will bookmark it for later. And please believe, I will read it later. I also have the newsfeed app (Inoreader) synced to my phone, that way I can stay up-to-date on all the articles I might otherwise miss out on while I am not at my computer. You know in the elevator? Or in the coffee line? When you see people scrolling through their phone on social media? I am standing right next to them, scrolling through my newsfeed.

But wait, there's more!

When I was a kid, my mom would make me read from the dictionary and learn a new word each day. Here is the thing about the dictionary: it has a whole bunch of words you already know, so finding a new word can take more time than it sounds. Here is the thing about me reading the dictionary: I literally did not complain about it, not even on the inside. It was no big deal for me. I just kept reading until I found a new word. This is probably where my affinity for reading began. Thanks, Mom.

There is a point to all of this, point being that every now and then I come across some great write-ups and get the urge to share it here in this space. But it does not happen often enough for me to make it a regular series, similar to Amber's Sunday Morning Coffee series or Today I'm Bobbi's This and That series. When I share something, I want to have real substance, and unfortunately there are so many vapid pieces out there that it becomes more and more difficult to filter the fluff. Whether it aligns with my viewpoint or not, it needs to be one thing: thought-provoking.

The articles listed below were just that. Instead of explaining them in my own words, I have pasted some excerpts.

The Forgotten Art of Squatting is a Revelation for Bodies Ruined By Sitting

"We sit in desk chairs, eat from dining chairs, commute seated in cars or on trains, and then come home to watch Netflix from comfy couches. With brief respites for walking from one chair to another, or short intervals for frenzied exercise, we spend our days mostly sitting.

...deep squatting as a form of active rest is built in to both our evolutionary and developmental past: It’s not that you can’t comfortably sit in a deep squat, it’s just that you’ve forgotten how."

- Written by Rosie Spinks, Quartz

*****

Writers of the Internet: I Want to Feel Your Personality

"How many times have you finessed a piece of writing to make it more palatable - more vanilla? Let’s have more swearing. Let’s have more blogging which isn’t about blogging. Let’s allow ourselves the freedom of more personality.

We can’t forget that these spaces we’ve created for ourselves online are in fact, still our own. Though we may be watered down by campaign briefs and brand guidelines at times, outside of that, let’s be more of ourselves."

- Written by Chloe Plum, The Little Plum

*****

Why So Many Women Cheat on Their Husbands

"Why do women still marry when, if statistics are to be believed, marriage doesn’t make them very happy?

At the time I married, marriage had felt like a panacea; it was a bond that would provide security, love, friendship, stability, and romance — the chance to have children and nice dishes, to be introduced as someone’s wife. It promised to expand my circle of family and improve my credit score, to tether me to something wholesome and give my life meaning. Could any single relationship not fall short of such expectations?"

- Written by Kim Brooks, The Cut

*****

Maybe I can make this a recurring series instead of a regular one, a la Netflix recs. We shall see.

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