Monday, December 31, 2012

Fear is the little death...

Today I wrote down all the fears I think are holding me back. I was brutally honest with myself.

I wrote them out in full sentences, starting each one with "I am afraid..."

I then took that piece of paper (I filled one side of an entire page), folded it up, sealed it in a zip-lock bag and put it away.

Being brave doesn't mean not having fear. Being brave means being afraid, and doing things anyway.

"I will face my fear. And when it has gone past... Only I will remain."

*(Quote & post title from Dune by Frank Herbert - the bene gesserit litany against fear)

Saturday, December 29, 2012

New Year's Resolutions

For several years now I've been busy creating websites and blogs and various other social media setups for places I've worked and places I volunteer for. In that time though, I've been neglecting my own public blogs and media to the point that folks have become a bit too curious.

No more!

Many people have been telling me for years now that I focus too much on work and things I volunteer for and not enough on myself. I've kept doing what I've been doing though because that's the personality I am and I love my profession.

I truly am passionate about books and information and the need for information to be accessible to all. It may sound corny, but I honestly believe that the right to access information is essential to a functioning free society. I also believe that leisure reading is an important part of maintaining good mental health and flexibility.

My New Year's resolution is to take some time to allow myself these rights and needs more often. Get back to public blogging instead of just private journalling. Spread the good joy of reading, writing, publishing, librarianship, and information as myself instead of just as other groups.

I'm going to read more books just for fun. I deserve it, and so do you.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

I am enjoying a week off of work wherein I am enjoying some feasting, some quiet time, some reading, and writing!

May your holidays be bright and merry and all your dreams come true.

"Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering 'It will be happier'." Tennyson.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Hello from... well, here.

Thinking of starting back up writing here.

I'm thinking about that scene in the movie "The Mummy" when Evelyn says that she's proud of what she is and when asked exactly what that is she declares "I am a librarian".

So am I Evelyn. So am I. I'm a librarian and I'm proud of that fact.

 I was a kid who had no expectation of being able to go to university at all. On either side of my family, I, and one cousin were the first to ever go to university. Later I also went to grad school and became a librarian.

None of it was easy. University and grad school were hard in and of themselves, but on top of that, there were the challenges of having no frame of reference and so having no idea what I was doing; having fibromyalgia, so being in pain and tired every single day of my life; having a sleep disorder that wasn't diagnosed until ~5 years after finishing my master's and so never having a restful night's sleep; and working ~20 hours per week on top of school full time where for grad school I was also commuting a little over an hour every day.

So, it was unlikely to happen at all, but working really hard, it did happen. And hate me if you must, world, but I'm a little bit proud of what I've accomplished.

Maybe I'll start talking here about the profession I'm proud of even if no one is reading. Peace and read a good book.