History, while extremely valuable, was never my favorite subject. So, when it came time to report on the 150th anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg in July, I signed up for a history tour to brush up on details I might had missed on those middle school field trips.
The day before the tour, I asked a staff photographer how long he thought it would take.
“I heard it’s going to be a three-hour tour,” he said.
Wow. Three hours, I thought. I heard it was going to take less than a hour.
As it turned out, it wasn’t a three-hour tour.
A few days later, I asked the photographer, “Who told you that the tour was going to take three hours?”
“You’ve never heard of ‘Gilligan’s Island?’” he said.
Ugh. It happened again — the generational disconnect. For those not in the know, the passengers in the show originally embarked on a three-hour tour before they shipwrecked.
Sure, I watched re-runs of the show as a kid, but let’s be honest — I am 23. I wasn’t alive in the‘60s and I watched “Rugrats” in the ‘90s.
This wasn’t the first time I’d missed a joke like this.
In fact, missing pop culture references has become more common since I became the youngest newsroom manager.
A week ago, I got excited about getting my first laundry machine. Six years ago I was in high school. Now, I’m in charge of FlipSide’s regional entertainment coverage. I’m alongside managers who have mortgages and day care to worry about.
It’s a whole new world and it can be a little difficult to navigate as someone who counts her dollars on the train. For the older crowd, that’s a reference to the recent hit “Royals” by Lorde.
But, I’m learning to embrace my age. I used to get embarrassed when people in the office realized how young I was. I get “you could be my daughter” a lot. But, I can use my youth to my advantage when covering all things entertainment.
People come to me to learn about the latest in pop culture and viral videos. Because if there is one thing I know, it’s how Beyonce is owning the web with her music videos, how Jeff Koons is besties with Lady Gaga and how “Duck Dynasty” is a show people can’t stop talking about — no matter their opinion.
I’ve also learned that being young shouldn’t mean remaining quiet. Every morning, I sit in a meeting with fellow managers, the top editor and my managing editor. Most of my first meetings consisted of me speaking softly because I was unsure of myself.
After my managing editor asked me “Can you repeat that?” more than once, I realized I needed to speak up. What I have to say is important.
After reading “Lean In,” by Sheryl Sandberg, I’ve also realized how important it is to consciously decide to sit at the table of a meeting. As a 23-year-old, 120-pound female, it’s easy for me to get lost in the crowd. And, when I feel invisible, I act invisible.
When I make a choice to sit at the table of conversation, I get more out of meetings.
While my idea of recent history might start decades after other managers, I can still hold my own in the office. Sure, I’m still going to get laughs when I miss a “Leave it to Beaver” or “All the President’s Men” reference, but I was the first person to suggest an editor watch “Call Me Maybe” before it hit Billboard’s Top 100.
And I can rap the entire theme song to “Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” so that has to count for something, right?
Ashley May is Editor of FlipSide magazine and FlipSidePa.com. She takes her lattes with soy and whip. Email her at amay@ydr.com.
Related post: Meet the new FlipSide Entertainment Editor, Ashley May
