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Review Brooks & Crowley
July 2021
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TEENAGERS AND THE SUMMER JOB It Really Does Set the Foundation for Future Success!
If you tell a teenager to get a summer job, they’ll probably roll their eyes at you. Now, don’t get me wrong. Plenty of kids will jump at the chance to get a summer job, but they usually need a little extra push to make it happen. A lot of successful business owners I know grew up having a summer job through high school or college. Indeed, for many successful people, the summer job was their first real experience with employment. But once a teen lands that job, they start to realize just how beneficial it can be, even if the job itself isn’t all that great. For one, it puts money in their pocket and bank account. And two, it gives them early workforce experience they can use later on. As parents and grandparents, the best thing we can do is encourage the summer job and help them find something but not force the issue. I emphasize the word “help” here. Be a resource and guide for your kids as they explore opportunities. They might not know how to navigate the job hunt, interview, or even craft a resume. There’s a very good chance you know how to do most, if not all, of those things — even if you are a little rusty. Even before pursuing a summer job, learning how to find jobs, write resumes, and interview are crucial skills every kid needs. Most schools don’t teach these skills, so it’s on us to fill in the gaps. You should take time to walk your kids through these steps even if they have a role lined up, but don’t make it too easy for them! I mentioned that one of the main benefits of a summer job is a paycheck, but I’d be remiss not to mention a few others. Along with earning money, a summer job is an opportunity for kids to learn about budgeting and saving. This job may be the first time in their lives they earn their own money to spend however they choose (within reason, naturally). We can, once again, act as guides to help them along the way. While money is great, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The real meat of the summer job is experience and skills. It’s important to remind kids that just because they’re doing a job for a summer doesn’t mean they’ll be doing it for years to come. It’s a starting point, and they can take the fundamental skills they learn with them to enhance their future work and education.
The fundamental skills I’m talking about involve people — how to interact with employers, customers, the general public, you name it. Then there are business skills — how to engage in and run certain aspects of a business. Coming in on the ground floor, they will likely get their hands dirty in a lot of different aspects of whatever business they’re working for. It’s hard to put a price on that! I can go on and talk about how summer jobs help build confidence and strengthen time management skills (both also very important!), but I want to wrap it up and mention what may be the single most important aspect of the summer job: networking. Jobs are a fantastic way for kids to put themselves out there and interact with their community in a way school and many extracurriculars can’t offer. Now, I can’t get your kid a job, but if you have a teenager and have summer jobs on the mind, maybe this will give you both a starting point. If that’s the case, I wish them happy job hunting this year or in the future! –Steve Brooks
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An Olympic Medal — For Arts
Stanton dug through decades-old, crumbling files that were packed away in Switzerland in order to uncover the origin of this forgotten Olympic tradition. Apparently, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the modern Olympic Games, saw art competitions as integral to his vision of the Olympics. Stanton told Smithsonian Magazine of Coubertin, “He was raised and educated classically, and he was particularly impressed with the idea of what it meant to be a true Olympian — someone who was not only athletic, but skilled in music and literature.” Coubertin thought that without the arts, it couldn’t be a true Olympic event. However, Coubertin had no luck convincing local organizers from Athens, St. Louis, or Paris that art competitions were necessary. At the 1912 Stockholm Games, Coubertin finally secured the Olympic fine art competitions. There were categories for architecture, music, painting, sculpture, and literature, but every work had to somehow be inspired by sports.
Judges didn’t have to award gold medals if they were disappointed by all the submissions, but 1912 was a success. With 33 artists in participation, a gold medal was awarded in every category. (Coubertin even won for his poem, “Ode to Sport”! He disguised it with a pseudonym.) As the Olympics exploded into a beloved international event, the fine arts competitions rarely caught people’s attention. Not all categories won gold medals, if any at all. There were significant winners, however. John Russell Pope (the architect of the Jefferson Memorial) won a silver at the 1932 Los Angeles Games for his design of the Payne Whitney Gymnasium, constructed at Yale University. Other famous participants include Italian sculptor Rembrandt Bugatti, American illustrator Percy Crosby, Irish author Oliver St. John Gogarty, and Dutch painter Isaac Israëls. Even if the art competitions are not a part of the games anymore, they are fascinating to learn about! We’ll definitely think about them the next time the Olympics (finally) roll around.
From 1912–1952, the Olympics awarded medals for arts and sculpture, though most people do not remember this. In 2012, the first book in English on the topic was published, “The Forgotten Olympic Art Competitions” by Richard Stanton.
LATE-90’S POP STAR BRINGS ATTENTION TO CONSERVATORSHIP LAWS FREE BRITNEY
Do you know what a conservatorship is? If you’ve cared for an aging parent, there’s a chance you’re familiar with this legal concept, which allows the court to appoint a legal guardian for an adult who is unable to make their own decisions. It comes up most often in cases where an individual has dementia or a serious mental illness, and it can apply to that person’s estate and finances (known as “conservator of the state”), as well as personal decisions (“conservator of the person”). It’s not just adults with aging parents who are familiar with this somewhat obscure legal concept, though. Late-90’s pop star Britney Spears has a devoted fan base that’s acquired legal acuity around conservatorship laws because of her battle to remove her father, Jamie Spears, as her conservator.
to be the legal conservator of her affairs. He was the conservator of the person for Britney until he stepped down in 2019, citing health reasons. But he maintained sole legal control over Britney’s reported $59 million fortune until last November, when the court appointed a co-conservator after Britney’s lawyers requested that Jamie be removed from the court order. Hardcore Britney fans began the #FreeBritney movement in 2009 after seeing how the conservatorship stripped Britney of her freedom and rights. The movement has since gained greater attention, especially following the release of the documentary “Framing Britney Spears” earlier this year. The documentary takes a deep dive into conservatorship laws, including the difficulties Britney and her lawyers have had
in changing the legal parameters to reflect her wishes. It also brings up questions about how a performer who has put out nine studio albums, had a Las Vegas residency, and made multiple television appearances would be unable to make her own decisions about her personal life and finances.
Britney’s lawyers are still fighting to remove her father entirely from the conservatorship of her estate, but it’s been an uphill battle. While she has not yet asked to end the conservatorship, lawyers interviewed by The New York Times for the documentary said most conservatorships don’t end until the person they are ordered for dies. Britney’s case is bringing up new legal questions and has been an unlikely but powerful way for the public to learn more about this legal concept.
After Britney suffered a mental health crisis in 2008, a California court appointed Jamie
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Get Your Train of Thought Back on Track
Repeat, repeat, repeat yourself. Paraphrasing your last few thoughts out loud can help you remember where you were going. Think of it as retracing your steps: You go back to the last words you remember saying, and more often than not, you’ll find your direction again. Take a short pause. Pausing briefly is a great way to make recovering your train of thought seem natural. This hack works really well if you’re answering a question and you need time to think, and you also don’t want to be bogged down by a chorus of “ums” escaping from your mouth. Write it all down. This hack works well when you know beforehand that you’ll be speaking with someone or in front of people. Even if you never refer to your notes while speaking, simply writing down a road map for your train of thought can help you recover from a detour and speak more confidently. Remember your overall point. The easiest way to drive your train of thought into the weeds is to forget your overall point — or not to have an overriding point at all. Always have a short, overarching point you can use to recenter yourself and get back on track. With these hacks, your brain will have to work a lot harder to make you lose your train of thought! Now you’ll be more prepared to tackle any subject matter, no matter how deep or technical, that comes your way.
Have you ever been in the middle of a conversation, presentation, or debate, stringing together thoughts in a way you hope is coherent and insightful when — poof ! — you lose your train of thought? It’s frustrating. You just want to make yourself understood, but your brain has other plans. What if there were a way to keep your train of thought on track? Well, the good news is that recovering your train of thought is easy with the following hacks in mind. RECOVERY HACKS
INJURED IN A CAR ACCIDENT?
Easy Zucchini Enchiladas Inspired by Delish.com
This healthy summer dish is the perfect way to use up extra zucchini! Ingredients
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1 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, chopped
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1 1/3 cups red enchilada sauce, divided 4 large zucchini, sliced very thin lengthwise and dried 2 cups shredded cheese Sour cream and cilantro, for garnish
2 cloves garlic, minced
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2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
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Salt, to taste
3 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring for 5 minutes. 2. Add garlic, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Cook for 1 minute, then add chicken and 1 cup enchilada sauce. Stir to combine. 3. On a cutting board, lay out three slices of zucchini side by side. Top each with a scoop of chicken mixture, then roll into a tube. Repeat with remaining zucchini slices. 4. Add the rolls to a baking dish. 5. Top the rolls with the remaining enchilada sauce and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Top with garnishes!
Get Neil Crowley’s comprehensive guide to Massachusetts car accident claims and expert advice you need to get your life back on track. Go to BrooksAndCrowley.com/reports to request your free copy!
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Inside THIS ISSUE
1 Every Kid Should Get a Summer Job 2 An Olympic Medal — For Arts
The Pop Star Bringing Attention to Conservatorship Laws
3 Life Hack: How to Recover Your Train of Thought
Easy Zucchini Enchiladas 4 Best Boston Events in July 2021
Want to spend your summer in the sun again, among people? If you’re just as pumped about going to local ballgames, shows, and festivals as we are, then you’ve come to the right place. Here’s some of the coolest Boston events coming up this month! Act soon to claim your tickets! Don’t Miss These Hot Local Events! Excited to Get Outside Again?
Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees July 22, 5:10 p.m. Fenway Park: 4 Jersey St., Boston Ticketmaster.com The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is arguably one of the fiercest in sports history — and you’ll be able to catch one of the first games of the two teams batting it out again in person! Grab your family and a few hot dogs and experience the legendary teams live. It’s certain to be a premiere game we’ve all been wanting to see face to face since lockdowns began.
HarpoonFest July 22–24 Harpoon Brewery: 306 Northern Ave., Boston HarpoonBrewery.com No, it’s not a festival for harpoon enthusiasts — it’s for Harpoon beer enthusiasts! This employee-owned company is giving out some very special perks this year, including discounts for frontline workers and first responders. The first 800 people to arrive get an exclusive HarpoonFest glass, and everyone will be sent home with a four-pack of Big League Hazy IPA. Also, enjoy the live music and food trucks galore! Have fun!
Seth Meyers July 30, 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. The Wilbur: 246 Tremont St., Boston TheWilbur.com
The award-winning SNL writer and “Late Night with Seth Meyers” host is acclaimed for many things — he produces the hilarious NBC comedy “A.P. Bio” and also executive produced and voice acted in Hulu’s animated show “The Awesomes.” He’s also a fantastic stand-up comedian. Check out his latest set for yourself ! Thanks so much for reading, and we hope you check out one of these events! We’re definitely making plans for ourselves.
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