Wow.  Therefore, we are all in a situation where we have never found ourselves. As a result, there is much we will learn, wish we would have learned, and find out about each other and of course ourselves.  I thought it fitting to share some of the realizations that have forced their way to my front door, often uninvited.

Schedules are what you make of them.  I have already had days where I laid around until 12:00 or later, relished them, but then later than night felt refreshed to have a schedule of making the best use of my time.  Definitely, I have always had the problem of learning to slow down, those are a change for me, YET, it makes a world of difference to have a section of each day to be priceless in getting things done I wished I would have days ago. Schedules made by ourselves make a huge difference in our mental and physical state for sure.

Librarians and libraries.  You probably know my soapbox but it seems to take at risk situations for a certain majority to realize, librarians, true librarian do not survive or behind stacks of books.  In the last 5 days, I have helped plan, strategize, and implement media and tools for educators all over the world, as well as other librarians all around the world have done.  Yes schools need librarians, yes schools need real libraries, yes librarians are masters of connecting, creating, strategizing, implementing, and that much more – and work especially well when paired with admin and educators that believe together, anything can be remedied.  Fresh air can be brought into the stereotypes of what education can look like when creativity and restrictions take place. It should not remain a situation as we find ourselves in to find the net worth of what someone with the training – usually a Master’s and then some, who is trained to make those all of a sudden connections, is valued.  Librarians are more than book sitters and hopefully, institutions and individuals will look at the profession differently. The connections that librarians are able to make, (this site is a collaboration of hundreds of librarians from across the world) – ends up supporting hundreds others.  People should rely and lean and refer to public and school librarians, and value them so much more when it comes to planning than is already the case.

Radio. Last night I was listening to a psychological focus on YouTube videos, televisions, and people in general – The Lure of Living through Others.

Finding ourselves outside of technology is vital, even when dangerous pandemics, and when not, face us. It is sad we have to be forced to find those things that are simple, quiet, and meaningful amid a society where Tweets, Tik Toks reign supreme, but hopefully this realization that technology as a side note, not the main manuscript, and people and the relationships real time matter more.  I like the fact that radio and traditional tools of voice, podcasts, Listening, these carry more substance than much “artificialness” technology can bring, and often not realized until later.

Difference of opinion that result in short-sight judging, falling into politics, issues, races, genders, immigration, you name it, it sucks.  Individuals are individuals no matter where located.  Often superiority to be ahead sacrifices the lives of others.  In talking with a friend in Argentina, lacks of fresh water, financial destruction, atrocious human rights violation, deaths next door and much worse seem to slip by oblivious to most people not from specific areas.  Animals disappear forever, climates become irreversible, individuals in other countries begin to matter less than what happens to ourselves and the ultimate result become a slow reduction in compassion for humanity.  It is vital we regain a more open thought and open window of awareness for others outside of our own selfish selves, to regain a balance for the things we hold dearly close to us.  I do see opportunities where individuals can come with terms to do things like can improve these actions, from helping neighbors needing supplies that are older, needing food, not hoarding, being generous and reaching out to those beyond our borders, not laying blame for things that happen on others, to resisting negative rhetoric; we are all in this together. Acting on that same phrase is a very vital step in order to improve the very things in the world we see disappearing around us.

It does alarm me the lack of concern of distance, etc.  In taking the dogs to several parks, several people wanted to come right up to me, pet the dogs and stand right beside me, aside from going into stores and people not being alarmed when they touch my fingers, wrist, etc and well, sorry, that just alarms me. It paints a larger picture of how bad things can become when individuals do the opposite of what I see in the paragraph above, a careless abandon of anything that does not seem to sit well with their view of looking at things.  The world, and what can happen is larger than we were.  Once many more people act these realizations on, things will change around us, and for the better.  Be it the way people see each other through divisive opinions, views of what librarians do and can do, being more open-minded of what our actions do to others here and afar, or simply being better people with superficial things stripped away, there is much in the positive arena that can be achieved.  There is much to be learned by opening our minds, supporting each other, and often doing what are sacrifices temporary, that will have much better long-lasting impacts.  Often students have the short vision syndrome, which is unable to see beyond the class at hand, and this often is due to awful conditions they have had to endure, OR, simply not being taught to thing that way.

In a unplanned turn of events, each of us, needs to realize, it is okay to look after how we best can protect ourselves, but also how our actions and thoughts affects others.  How we can live our best life that helps others do the same as well is an investment in others and ourselves a double bonus.  In turn a ripple that will start in our Own North Americas, will spread to Canadian, Latin American, South American borders.  America is more than 50 states, it is several others countries.  Compassion and action, through rhetoric and acts should not simply stop at our own concerns, but we have an exciting opportunity, through some scary times as well, to LEARN, and take time we have on our hands to figure out ways to learn these things and help others learn these things.  We all are students and teachers if we choose to be, and in turn, it will renovate what we know as the largest classroom of all, our world.