Sharing

First, thanks for liking and reading my first post. If you recall, step one was sharing. Why did my son tell me to share? I have pondered this for a few days. I had a dream written, why not write more? Share? After pondering I am honored, he knows me. I need to plan, writing is part of the plan. Sharing is harder. Seriously, I love to write. It is pretty much my therapy. I write, file away and done. Rarely do I share, why not, feedback. LOL, as an Alverno Alum, feedback. 😀

Feedback

Feedback can be brutal, helpful, can I say brutal again? Even when helpful feedback is tough. As a doc student, educator, human I have received a lot of feedback (umm divorced, mom, educator). It grows one, skin must be tough. If you haven’t read Thanks for the Feedback (Stone & Heen, 2014) might be helpful. So, if you read my first blog you know I carried my dream folder around for sometime. I began writing my dream in response to an article I read about the 25 most beautiful libraries in America. It was also inspired in response to everyone asking what next as I come to the end of the doctoral journey. Well, this is MY dream, fun dream, balance, where I go when not working to dream.

LOL you might say what a let down, you are completing your doctoral journey and then visitng libraries is your dream. Well, yes it beats the barista dream. Working on my dissertation I would sit in coffee shops, when not reading, working on dissertation and fantasize about serving coffee, so much easier than my life, more fun. Well my sister became a barista, not much money and a lot of work. I salute baristas, I need them. I learned for a lot it is a second job, baristas have to memorize so many drinks for little pay and no tips. Well some but really, do you tip your barista? When I learned what they made I became a barista tipper. So this became my new dream.

What having this dream did do for me was lead me to a financial plan (well and the reality of the barista dream, I needed money to fund this dream). So I created a savings plan. Which yes I shared with my accountant son. His reply, DO IT! With, “Mom it is time you did something for you. Really! For my birthday please do one trip.” Hmmmm…

Honestly, I wrote the plan, carried it in my a folder in my purse but had tabled this dream as a barista dream. Yep, after my doctoral chair sent me my feedback and revisions began again, my dream stayed in my purse. I did not look at it until Dec. 25. I decided it was silly, one that I took out and read as an outlet from dissertation. I was thankful for the savings plan viewing it as the purpose and the good that had come out of this dream (part of the share with my son, figured would lesson the blow of silly dream). Sharing with my son occurred after a couple drinks, his feedback sparked the dream again. I have had to ask him, so you do think this is a valid dream.

Yes, now share, write, do. So creating blog, sharing my writing in this forum was first. Then New Years Eve I shared with a lifetime friend. Single mother, son raised, similar life as me. What occurred was magical. Thank you Maxies and Ben (best server ever) for a fabulous oysters, drinks, dinner and dessert. Your patience with us taking your table, you ROCK! 😀

What made it magical was she had a plan as well. We sat down and both started, “I have something to share!” I shared my library dream, which she got on board with. She shared her Dave Matthews, camping dream. I got on board. Then we got out our calendars and marked them up, shared our savings plans. Together we will continue to work our dreams after work, over oysters, drinks, dinner at Maxies. Thursday nights, happy hour $1.00 oysters, upsized beers dollar off any drink. Best deal ever! Right now on our calendars, spring break is a go, Dave Matthews a go (unsure of date), June library trip on the calendar as well as two camping trips and more.

What have I learned. Sharing is good. I do believe you must choose who you share with, find supportive, brilliant souls to share with (like you). Thanks for the feedback, so far no one has left negative comments (at this point, doesn’t matter if you do, sorry, I am doing this!). Dreaming is invigorating and leads to MORE, more connectedness, growth and breathes new life. So thanks for listening, supporting, Tag, your it, dream, share….

Best,

Fern

References:

Maxies, http://maxies.com/milwaukee/

Stone, D., & Heen, S. (2014). Thanks for the feedback: The science and art of

receiving feedback well (even when it is off-base, unfair, poorly delivered,

and frankly, you’re not in the mood). Viking Adult.

Library Enthusiast Vacation Dream

Hello Bookworms and Library enthusiasts (nerds, I think my son added that,lol)

This is who I am…

I have been told there are creeps on the internet (advice from my sons 19,24, of course they know more than I do about this… ), so call me Fern. I am a literacy specialist serving students of low socio economic means in an American city school. I love, love what I do. Every day (during the school year) I work with the lowest 20% of every grade level, teaching students to read, love reading, making reading meaningful for them. I have been an educator for 20+ years. A single mother for 25 years, raising two successful young men, who yes study and use the library, finding it a safe haven for their studying/academic needs. My eldest upon graduation from college, needed to study for a final credit, took me to the library by his father’s house, went up to the librarian got the key for the study room (his study room), sent me to get a book, settled in, studying for his exam gracefully kicking me out to roam his library, finding treasures and books to read. As a mother and educator, the fact that my guys know how to access the library, find safe study spaces, rent first apartment close to the library, has brought me great joy, knowing they love, know how to access and use the library… who could ask for more?

How did my love of literacy and libraries begin?

My love for libraries began as a youngster. My parents were ministers, poor, believing that television was of the devil. My sweet mama would take us once a week to the library. She opened book and told me to read the first paragraph, if it grabbed me within that first page it was a keeper, take it and read it. I read, transported to otherworlds becoming a voracious lifelong reader. As a family we checked out the old school movie reels, forbidden treats, a movie projector these were our family nights. We also checked out games to play as a family (not as popular). As an adolescent the library was a place I would escape. My parents would allow me to go to the library, check out books and spend time unsupervised. As a divorced single young mom it was a place to take my guys. My love affair with the library has been a lifelong venture, one that has fed my soul, kept me safe when life was chaotic. A quiet place of rest and respite.

Dream in a folder….

I have been carrying around my dream in a folder, in my purse for the last few months. What next has been the question as I am coming to the end of my dissertation. Everyone asks what next? Well, my boys are raised, living for them seems a little silly. They have their lives, which has been my dream, successful happy men. Now as a single mom, literacy specialist, doctoral candidate, I am answering the question what next… I still want to be a reading specialist but adding a new dimension is the dream. Summers… Being a nerd, reading/literacy specialist, what do I love? Books, the smell of them, lives lived, so finding the article 20 most beautiful libraries in America gave me breath. I mapped it out, developed a budget (which I have blown) but it is there. Living in me, I want to visit these places, then the ultimate… London.

Today is Christmas, 2019. I am 51, drinking and playing cards with my son. I spilled my soul, dream and you know what? He wanted to see it. Read it, while I ran to the potty. He read my dream, looked at my map, asked to see my budget. He called off the game, opened his computer. Write mom, let’s plan it (his command). He thought it was cool and is on board with me making it a reality. So how? How? Well step one seems to share the dream. Next, write, write, write so I am.

Step one Share. With who? You.

Here goes….

Breath, first step, share.

Sharing in blog format…

My goal is over spring break to take the train to Chicago,spend the night, visit the Harold Washington Library Center in Chicago, ILL and begin my journey. Why? Because I can. I love books, they feed my soul. As a mom I took my sons to the library, it was free, we learned so much, books are my friends. My goal when visiting is to experience the neighborhoods surrounding the libraries, pubs, local attractions get the vibe of the locale. Libraries are the hub of the community, they offer lifelines to young families, lost souls, marginalized humanity, a place for educators and education. My people. I am that mom who got all the free coupons, used the zoo passes, museum coupons, free pizzas and funded my summers. Visiting libraries across America is my homage to a life well lived, living on a shoestring, educating my guys. It is now my turn to see how others fare in different communities in the safe space where I learned to breathe, it cost me nothing and provided me everything. Maybe traveling to libraries is a safe way to spread my wings while remaining grounded. See the world, while doing what I love. Crazy… maybe …dream… goal

And then…

Next stop William W Cook Historical Library in Ann Arbor, MI would be June, beginning of summer. It is a little farther, five hour drive. Yet with Chicago under my belt venturing to the Ann Arbor, MI location may be doable.

I would love to do an east coast trip and a west coast trip visiting…

For now, I will formally check in after Chicago. Now to plan, write, share… blog?

Cheers,

-Fern

LNBW

The World Awaits…
— not sure if someone said it, I am

Step 1 share. ✓ I am thanks for reading, please join me on this grand adventure. Even if it fails it will be fun, omg I am doing this…

This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.