A letter from August 20th, 2017

Dear FutureMe, Do not be afraid to take this assignment seriously. Although it may seem lame or corny, there is a reason the instructor has tasked you with this assignment. In the spirit of “going with the flow,” here are some of my goals for this semester and what I think my experience will be in this class. I believe this class will expose me to various aspects of writing, media, and critical thinking. The critical thinking will come from viewing writings, movies, speeches, and other media from an analytical standpoint. Although you love all of this “fluffy’ stuff, I hope you set aside your opinions, put your best foot forward, and contribute to this class so that it becomes a positive experience. I believe my current level of critical thinking is good. I have been exposed to critical thinking, or analytical thinking, my whole career through simple report writing and complex investigation where I needed to support my opinions and conclusions. As with any skill, there is always room for improvement and you must continuously sharpen that skill as it is perishable. The media and advertising will always attempt to influence you in every aspect. Currently, my opinion of the media is at an all-time low. I have noticed news outlets no longer report facts, rather they assert the opinion in the story they are bringing to you. A good example of this is NBC’s TODAY show with Matt Guthrie and Savanah Miller. Although their job is to bring forward facts about events so one can come to their own conclusion, it is quite apparent Matt Guthrie does not care for the current presidential administration. Every single morning, he starts the show with some negative story about Donald Trump. He then attempts to back his opinion by having another reporting corroborate his stance by proving information or statistics that are skewed. This is a common theme with NBC as many of their local news casters and even entertainers conduct themselves in a similar fashion. Do not become consumed by this and keep an open mind. If an issue catches your attention, find out as much information about it as possible and from as many sources as possible. I believe the professor would like for you to suspend your assumptions and be open to a different perspective or various perspectives. Also, be open to expressing yourself through writing. By the end of this class, you should be able to view the media, writings, songs, movies, and many other things, through an analytical lens. By being open to this, it will only assist you in making you stronger and better in your current career. Undoubtedly, this will also help you in your second career and maybe even in your personal life. I really don’t have anything else to add to this regarding like terms in my personal life. Understand that your subordinates will be exposed to this very issue of only being told a single story about you as a leader. That single story will depend on their personal agendas or ignorance. Do not take it personal and learn how to navigate through it. Do not get sucked into a single story about them either. Think of what is going on at the facility right now and maybe your experiences will help you achieve greater understanding and a good grade in this class. Do not lose focus and do your very best; I’m counting on you! Regards, Sal