When My Mother Makes Me Smile...

I received a nice call from my mother the other day.  We talked about life, school and family, the usual.  When the subject of school came up, well, I naturally went into library politics.  I told her about the rough road to e-books in libraries, funding issues, my current project to help create a collections policy, and somehow I got onto an old topic.  I brought up my worries about the nay-sayers.  The ones who believe that libraries are obsolete and dying.  What she said to me after that was pleasantly surprising.

I should first mention that she has been on quite the social kick lately.  She's found a new social circle and every time she mentions what I am in school for they reply with "Wow, that's amazing!  That's a field that's really changing, it's a great time to be a part of it."  Not all of them went with those words, naturally, but to hear that people outside of the system are acknowledging it immediately made me feel better.  I couldn't help but smile.

It's working guys, keep it up!

To all librarians who are changing their system, innovating their methods, rethinking their status quo, people are noticing and reacting positively.  You're doing it.  We still have a little ways to climb but there are already measurable results.  Maybe now everyone will pile into the innovation wagon and we can get this momentum rolling faster.

It makes me feel confidant about the future.  When I graduate in a year or so, what will the library world be like?  Will it have changed drastically or will it still be in a state of flux and growth?  Either way, I can't wait to get out there and be a part of it.

Oops, sorry, as my husband says I already AM a part of it.  Maybe I'm not getting paid or making any really hard decisions but I am involved, and I will continue to become more involved.  I still have that little barrier of "I'm in school so I'm not really involved yet," which is something I think all students have at some point.  We just need to get rid of that.  It's useless for us to have when there is so much we can help with.

We are involved, and we're making progress.  That's what's really important.

An Exercise in Communication

My father had a stroke recently.  Not the kind where you become paralyzed, but the kind where you forget how to speak and understand language.  In the hospital, his first reaction when he realized this was to get out his phone, and practice writing names.  While they waited for the doctor to get back, he had managed to not only write out people's names, but say them as well.  Now he is talking.  He forgets words and he sometimes does not understand what we are saying, but it is clear he is recovering slowly, but surely.

My father is a very independent man.  He taught himself everything he knows and is very active.  He's been spending a lot of time on home improvement projects, talking to himself to get used to saying the words again.  When he starts to forget someone's name, he uses his phone to get accustomed to it again.  Right now he is searching the Home Depo and Walmart web sites for materials for his projects.  He's a bit lost, but at least he is allowing me to help him navigate a little.

My step-mother is a bit stressed at the situation.  Between having to be home and watch him and trying to make sure he is saying the right words as opposed to "that thing" and answering e-mails and Facebook messages and texts all from worried family and friends, I'm amazed she's handling it as well as she is.  I know I'd end up turning my phone off just to get a moment of peace.

The whole situation reminds me of how useful technology is for learning.  My father would have taken a  lot longer to get as far as he has if he had not has his phone on him.  Searching the internet has enhanced his understanding of words and is helping him remember what he used to know.  Simply using the search systems of Home Depo and Walmart alone has allowed him to communicate to us what he wanted to work on next for a project. 

It's amazing how technology can teach and re-teach people in unexpected ways.  Since I started library school I've learned more about the power of technology to teach than I ever thought possible.  My experiences since then have shown me more than anything that technology belongs in our schools, belongs in our lives.  This is a thank you to technology.  My father is going to make a full recovery.  And I have no doubt it is due to technology.

New Careers

Careers are, in general, difficult to start.  You begin with all these hopes and dreams and expectations and as the career goes on you just...lessen those expectations.  It's hard to keep up and keep yourself on your toes enough so that you DON'T lessen expectations.  It's a never ending battle and stamina is key.

So how do we build up stamina?  Those with enough self discipline will be able to gain that through sheer repetition but in my experience not a lot of people have a whole lot of self discipline.  I feel there has to be better ways, better methods.  Sometimes "Just keep going" really isn't enough to well, keep one going.

I bring this up due to big news my husband brought to me today: He will be stopping to get his masters at the end of THIS year to get some real world experience and then re-evaluate his scientific focus.  It makes sense, his advisor was the one who brought this up as the best idea but...I had thought I had 3 years to complete my own masters and start my career before we had to worry about his.  Now I have four months.

It's a tad overwhelming.  Now my whole concentration is, how do I juggle this new turn of events with both of my careers that I am trying to stay on top of which are really both new in the grand scheme of things.  Librarianship and writing, it's more than just networking and reading (thank goodness for the web that I can do that easily anyway) but it is the stress and the pressure.  What should I be doing?  What do I need to do?  Am I really doing the right thing or is there something key I forgot?  Is this turn of events really going to effect all of this?

I know I am probably over reacting, but I cannot help but have this small nagging feeling like I am forgetting something.  I feel like I am not doing enough now, and I need to step it up.  Maybe take more classes next semester.  More importantly, support my dear husband and his decision that, though he seemed relieved and happy about, must have been tough in and of itself.  Can we both juggle all this?  I guess time will tell.