This week, I’ll rejoin the ranks of people reporting to school buildings regularly…and I’m really excited about it! I’m apprehensive, of course. Being in a district where you know almost no one is always hard until students and staff get to know you a little bit, but going into a totally different job than I’ve ever done before adds even more nervousness, not to mention the fact that the pandemic is surging again and I live in a state that has banned mask mandates. I’m not too worried for myself–I had the virus in March of this year AND I’m fully vaccinated. But kids under twelve still aren’t eligible to be vaccinated and the Delta variant seems to be affecting young people more than previous strains of the virus did. I’m worried about the kids. Still, I’m really excited to be in schools again. I got myself a new backpack (pictured above) to cart around my school necessities since I’ll be in four different buildings each week, and I got some new school clothes. And, after a week of teacher days, I’ve started to get to know some of my colleagues, and I’m getting a handle on some of the logistical things about this district. Now, kids start back this week, and I’m thrilled to get to meet them and really dig in to see what I can do in my new position.
This week also marks the start of my graduate classes. I had some virtual orientation over the last few days, and I can’t even express how lucky I feel to be part of this Master’s program. I’m going to learn SO MUCH about libraries and information and technology and resources! I love to learn, and learning about these things, as well as getting to apply my knowledge in my new position, just feels dreamy right now. Remind me that I said this come finals week. 🙂 I really am ecstatic that all of this is coming together, though, and I’m so grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given.
Going back to school can be scary, but it’s also an incredible opportunity. But formal education isn’t the only way to learn new skills. I know that I’m incredibly privileged to have the options I have, but when so many of us have access to the internet, we can be learning new things all the time if we choose to. I’ve learned countless facts and skills on the internet, and in the last few months have added skills including how to install insulation in a building and how to make an axle and attach wheels to my umbrella cart. Just this week I’ve learned lots of chords on my new ukulele, and I plan to keep learning whatever I can because life will always be changing, and I don’t want to stay the same. While I work on my projects sometimes I like to have Netflix playing in the background (thanks, again, internet!), and one show I’ve been watching a lot lately is Downton Abbey. I saw a lot of it years ago when it first came out but at some point I quit watching, and I’m just now getting around to watching the rest of it. There have been a few quotes from it that have really stuck with me, though. Especially right now, as I embark on new adventures:
First, in Season 2, Episode 3 of Downton, Lady Sybil Crawley says to her sister, Lady Edith Crawley, “Trust me–you have a talent that none of the rest of us have. Just find out what it is and use it. It’s doing nothing that’s the enemy.” I sat with this quote for a long time. I know, intellectually that it’s true, but it’s hard sometimes to know where our true talents lie. Or, maybe more specifically, it’s hard to figure out how to use our talents, and even harder to actually start doing it once we’ve figured out how. But one thing I know is that we usually can’t know if something is right for us until we try it. So, I’m trying something new that I just might have a talent for.
And in Season 5, Episode 1, Mr. Carson (the butler) says to Mrs. Hughes (the housekeeper), “The nature of life is not permanence, but flux.” If I’ve learned anything from this pandemic, it’s that life is always in flux. Rules and traditions and cultural norms are all subject to change when things like pandemics happen. But what I’ve also learned is that being open to different opportunities or ways of doing things can make life richer and more meaningful. Who knew, for example, that we could collectively learn how to use videoconferencing to connect with each other when meeting in person was inadvisable?
So, go back to school, friends–even if it’s just the unofficial university of Google. And remember that the nature of life is flux AND that you have a talent that none of the rest of us have. Roll with the changes, and figure out how to use your gifts. We’ll all be better off!
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