Post 9: Book Awards

I’m discovering that some of the hardest #reverbbroads11 posts are the ones closest to my heart. When I was young I worked at the public library as a Children’s Page. I re-shelved many books, straightened the 500′s, helped patrons and many other projects. My parents would make sure I got to the library earlier enough to pick our my own books, I had a “one a day habit” at that point.

Picking one favorite children’s book would be pretty impossible. I think I’ve narrowed it down enough though to answer Friday’s prompt from Niki: What was your favorite children’s book?

Drumroll please:

In the True Blue Children’s Book Category: A tie between The Berenstain Bear series & Amelia Bedelia series

I love The Berenstain Bears because they teach a lesson in each book. Now if they would just make them about getting along with your roommate, fire safety, and binge drinking I’d be set.

Amelia Bedelia is fun because of all the goofs she makes. She makes me feel like I’m not the only person to mess up things.

The Fourth Grade Reading Level Award: The Babysitter’s Club

How can you go wrong with a dynamic group of young women caring for others? This is my first education on the issue of diabetes and the start of putting hearts on my I’s, thanks to Stacey.

Series I Would Collect: The Girl’s of Canby Hall

It’s no surprise now that I loved a series of books about students living in a residence hall! The Girls of Canby Hall was the story of a couple different groups of at a New England boarding school.

Series Worth Mentioning:
Trixie Belden
The Happy Hollisters
Bobbsey Twins
Sweet Valley High(and everything else)

Technically Adult Books:
Anything by Janette Oke, specifically the Love series

I write

Today’s  #reverbbroads11 prompt: Why blog? Why do you or why do you like to blog (recognizing that these are not always the same thing)? via Kristen at kristendomblogs.com/

 

I’ve finally summed it up into three reasons I’ve blogged off and on over the years.

First reason is, because my soul is telling me to write and to share it with others. That’s why I joined this blogging month endeavor. A voice inside kept saying that “you need to write and be part of this”. So I write.

Obviously by the off and on over the years comment I haven’t been great about keeping up blogs, for many reasons. Sometimes when I write it’s to silence the guilt that is nagging at me because I DIDN’T blog in a while (reason number two).

Third, it’s to share my adventures in life, usually it was in the form of sharing a road trip adventure. As a kid I kept a travel journal and blogging served as that adventure recording for the adult me.

 

 

TGIW

I’m participating in #ReverbBroads11, a month of blog prompts. Today’s prompt: Who or what makes you laugh so hard that milk shoots out of your nose and why? Slapstick, dry witty comedy, your kids, Monty Python?

Forget TGIF for me, I TGIW.

Wednesdays are my tv laugh night. It’s still the time of year when new Psych episodes are broadcast. Over Thanksgiving my parents & I discovered Hot in Cleveland and the new season just premiered. Both of these make me laugh out loud at the clever writing and antics. Pineapple jokes, funny names for Gus- how can you beat the antics of Psych?

When I can’t catch these shows it’s because I’m busy at our coffeehouse where students perform. Laughs may come, but more so genuine smiles and my heart is happy as I watch these students share their talents in a supportive community.

For those need a laugh times I just watch The Skit Guys, a HILARIOUS duo.

A New Role

As part of a month-long blog challenge, I am responding to prompts from #reverbbroads11. Day 5, courtesy of Amy at http://2bperfectlyfrank.blogspot.com/: What is the one thing you finally did this year that you always wanted or said you were going to do, but in your heart of hearts never thought you would actually do?

At the beginning of the year I did not make any resolutions, join in the #oneword phenomena or make even a “to do” list. I didn’t dream big or realize that one of my impossible dreams would become a reality.

Flashback to years ago and time in another profession: I was cool and a respected voice. For years I was part of an online community (in it’s various forms), I was known. This led into things I never saw myself doing like writing articles and music reviews which ultimately are up on the website of one of the major companies encouraging supporting that profession. My role at conventions (aka: professional conferences) was the “social butterfly” gathering everyone from our social media community to sit together for sessions and to eat meals together. I’ve met the “big wigs”, dang it, I’m friends with some of the “big wigs”. I had a voice, however small. I had a role in listening to others and helping them discover what was best for the students they worked with. Back on the local scale, I was active in the professional network of the region. If we actually had titles, I would have received one.

Flashback to the current day: I’m in a new profession in the category of new professional. There have been points of frustration in a different role. At points I wondered if I would have any true voice, beyond the institutions I work at, and a role in this new field I belong to.

I didn’t plan for it to happen, didn’t dream that it would actually happen. My connections are not as strong as others, I haven’t invested in connecting with others as I could and should.

It did happen though, I have a voice & a role, already. A simple Twitter conversation turned into an amazing initiative. I’m blessed and honored to be part of a great group of Student Affairs Professionals known as the #SAYR1 Core Team. (Here’s our introduction post: http://thesabloggers.org/2011/09/introducing-sayr1/) New professionals have been networked together and are discussing topics that I was a part of writing. Support and encouragement is happening for the next generation of SA pro’s that will lead students and the professional organizations. Personally, I’ve made some new friends.

The best part is it happened organically. I was just being myself and then boom, a dream I didn’t think would occur did.

Anti To Do List

As part of a month-long challenge I am responding to prompts from #reverbbroads11. Today’s prompt: List 10 things you would never do. (from Katrina, http://katrinatripled.blogspot.com/)

Let me preface this by saying if it’s obviously illegal I’m not going to bother to include it.

I’m never planning (<—key word) to:
1. Prefer Diet Pepsi over Diet Coke.

2. Stop traveling. Even if I’m my body won’t let me travel physically I’ll find ways to experience the world.

3. Believe that NY pizza and NY bagels aren’t the best.

4. Stop making friends. A couple years ago I decided I didn’t want to be like the older people I knew whose friends had all left this earth. I figure if I keep making friends, especially ones younger than myself that issue won’t be me when I’m 80!

5. Skydive, zipline (again), bungee jump, etc… If it’s high up and dangerous I will do everything possible to not participate.

6. Be camera-less. I’m one of those people who carries their camera in their pocketbook and dreams of the day she can afford a better one.

7. Like mint or vegetables. Eww, yuck, no thank you.

8. Own a snake.

9. Be proud to grow up on Long Island. You have the beach, the farms, The City, and so much more right there.

10. Be able to resist a used bookstore, thrift store, or craft store. I am able to resist buying things in each of these places, but can’t go too long without visiting one or all of them.

Day 4

As part of a month-long blog challenge, I am attempting to  respond to prompts from #reverbbroads11.

Reverb Broads prompt 4 is created by Em of …And Her Glow Has Warmed the World…fame:

In the movie version of your life, which actor/actress would play you and the significant players in your life? What kind of movie is it (e.g., made-for-TV, action, emo/indie, etc.)? What would be the major plot points, and how will it end?

If I’m being honest, which is one of my character traits (perhaps flaws to some people) my life wouldn’t be a movie. A tv show or series in the likes of Promised Land, Sue Thomas F.B. Eye, Doc -one of those feel good tv shows that leave you encouraged when you are done watching it. Or at least I hope that’s what the script would come out like.

The plot would simply be broken up in section of my life, defined by where I have lived. Long Island, New Paltz, Philly, NC, Pittsburgh, Long Island, NC…maybe Philly again? But would have tons of scenes from other parts of the country as my life has been a big road trip.

I’d totally make Jennifer Wood play me. She’s an incredible actress friend of mine although you wouldn’t recognize her in anything. Her supporting cast would be comprised of students from my times at UNCSA, simply because they are amazing talented.

Those parts of the story are easy to create. The exact plot points and ending is a complete different story. I’m in the middle of the story of my life with so much more to be written.

A Childlike Grownup

As part of a month-long blog challenge, I am catching up on following the prompts from #reverbbroads11. Third prompt: How did you become more of a grown-up this year? Or did you pull a Peter Pan and stubbornly remain childlike?

Years ago, back in my youth ministry days, it was said that a group of us were “cleverly disguised as responsible adults”. Were we? We looked responsible as we programmed for, developed, and taught groups of teenagers. When we supported students in having hard conversations with their parents about things going on in their lives. In attending and leading meetings, presenting budgets, budgeting usually with tiny amounts of money. Our times recruiting, training, and supervising volunteers; that was pretty adult like.

But did being grownup look like shooting hoops for hours though you had no skills, staying up all night at lockins, playing manhunt, or “going wild”?

Perhaps being grownup is knowing when and where to be childlike and when to be “cleverly disguised”.

This past year of job hunting and working in various position,  life has felt pretty grown-up and serious. I’ve grown up in learning to live very minimally in many ways and  to do jobs that don’t really fit me (like work a monotonousness warehouse job). Life just needed to be super serious, and there wasn’t any time to embrace childlikeness that I embraced in my younger adult years.

Thankfully I had the gift of my seventeen year old “little brother” to help me be child-like again. You see, his worldview is so different as a person with autism. He delights and gets me to delight in simple things like sand fights on the beach. In time spent splashing in the pool and Friday dinner/movie nights. I love listening to his laugh and see him working with little kids.

In those moments when life was so serious I had a great reminder that being a grownup with childlike wonder and delight is a good thing.  I forgot to enjoy the moments around me because I was waiting for that job to happen. The ultimate student affairs job has still not happened as I expected. I’m still feeling a bit serious and grown up but taking a bit more time to experience the world with childlike joy and wonder.