Sunday, June 29, 2008

Marketing to the Social Web by Larry Weber

When we think about marketing on the web, our mind often turns to the cheesy blinking advertisements on the side of the page. I find the ones that dance are the most annoying, maybe because there is no way an actual human can move that way. This is also compounded by the fact that my eyes, invariably move toward it. Usually lower mortgage rates don’t elicit this kind of movement. At least they don’t from me.

While I don’t have a business to build, I do have a blog. Actually I have two. The one I keep on Blogger is for my more straight laced, professional, brainy ideas. While I like Blogger and think it is easy to use, it can sometimes be a very lonely experience. From my dashboard on Blogger I can see that I have had visitors to my page, but few leave comments which leaves me wondering whether people stumbled onto my page by accident and then quickly left, or if they stopped and read. If my blog generated any thoughts or ideas, few mention the.

My blog on Multiplyis a more social event. I have a network of friends whose blogs I read and who I know read mine. I know because Multiply tells me which Multiply members have read my posts and when. Someone that is not part of the social network can read the posts I put up as public, but cannot comment on them.

Since I have this personal connection with blogging, I thought that this book might be interesting and I was surprised at how much I learned.

The author, Larry Weber, does not have a blog. I looked. He has been the subject of many blogs and does an occasional hosting or two. According to his bookjacket bio he has “spent thirty years building global communications companies included Weber Shandwick Worldwide and the W2 Group. He is also the founder and Chairman of the Massachusetts Innovations and Technology Exchange, the nation’s largest interactive advocacy association.

The book addressed in a very clear manner how marketing on the web is very different from the traditional marketing used on other mediums. Again, using a conversational tone he explains the differences between the social web and how if marketing is to be successful in the blogosphere, there needs to be a mind shift in the marketer. If you approach this arena in the traditional manner, you will end up with a straight broadcast of your goods and that the people you are trying to reach are first interested in a social interaction before getting to the purchasing transaction.

Weber does a great job of laying the groundwork for people new to this type of marketing. While looking for research on my paper I took notes from chapters with such titles as “Engage Communities in Conversation (To Generate Word of Mouse) and the Blog Strategy (Everybody’s Talking At Me). Again, the author’s sense of humor and ease of writing style makes you smile first and then read on.

Weber’s professional experience and knowledge is also helpful in furthering his point. When he discussed whether CEO’s should have a blog, he presents both sides of the coin. If your CEO is not a comfortable writer and what comes from “his” blog ends up being the work of your Public Relations Team, then no, he should not have a blog. If a CEO is looking for a way to keep in touch with the pulse of his employees and customers and feels comfortable putting themselves “out there,” then yes. An example of a successful CEO Blog was given as the Blog of John Mackey from Whole Foods. He recently blogged about the topic of his company's salary cap here. Please take time to read the comments left on his blog.

Which leads to another point that Weber makes: when you open up yourself to the web you need to open up yourself to the comments left for you. Many blogs have a way of screening and permitting what comments will be viewed, but you need to again, adjust your mindset to allowing the bad in with the good. Blocking bad news can be counter productive, as he cites Scott McNealy, Sun Microsystem’s Chairman quote “Always worry about what people aren’t telling you.” (Weber, 175)

Weber also tells of companies that encourage their employees to blog. Included in this chapter are tips for successful blogging, like making it personal, and suggestions for rules and guidelines for your employees who blog. IBM has a very liberal policy in that, while their employees should state that they work for IBM, they need to include somewhere on the blog that they don’t speak for the company.

While the book is written for businesses, there is a great deal here to be applied to libraries. Weber even mentions libraries and their futures stating that libraries have always been able to create a “special place” in our culture and that is what blogs and social networks strive to mimic. A place to belong.

I would recommend this book to those libraries who are thinking of making a place for themselves outside of the brick and mortar building of their library. There are different rules in the blogosphere and this book offers some useful and accessible information to help newcomers navigate them.

Weber, Larry. 2007. Marketing to the social web: How digital customer communities build your business. John Wiley & Sons, Inc: Hoboken, NJ.

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Name that Blog!!!!

Cause and Effect?

Today I cleaned out my car...including the trunk. While the sun was blazing hot in the clear blue sky, I was placing items in piles on the lawn...some to go to one library, some to the other...some clothes and shoes. I had sooo much stuff (mostly books) that people thought I was having a garage sale. I had to shoo people off.

Then, you know what I did? I took it to the CAR WASH!

Oh, and yes, those are storm clouds you see in the distance. It is as dark as twilight out and it is only 6 pm!

Wow...just getting advice from everywhere....

Fred has been telling me to lighten up and enjoy life. I think we have all experienced times in our lives when this is easier said than done. I have had a little hiccup in my life the last couple of days (when don't I? when don't we all?) but I have been letting it take over more time and energy than it should.

Heard this song for the first time, even after playing it many times.

Lyrics for River....

let it go,
let it roll right off your shoulder
don't you know
the hardest part is over
let it in,
let your clarity define you
in the end
we will only just remember how it feels

our lives are made
in these small hours
these little wonders,
these twists & turns of fate
time falls away,
but these small hours,
these small hours still remain

let it slide,
let your troubles fall behind you
let it shine
until you feel it all around you
and i don't mind
if it's me you need to turn to
we?ll get by,
it's the heart that really matters in the end

our lives are made
in these small hours
these little wonders,
these twists & turns of fate
time falls away,
but these small hours,
these small hours still remain

all of my regret
will wash away some how
but i can not forget
the way i feel right now

in these small hours
these little wonders
these twists & turns of fate
these twists & turns of fate
time falls away but these small hours
these small hours, still remain,
still remain
these little wonders
these twists & turns of fate
time falls away
but these small hours
these little wonders still remain

Dirty Jobs and a life lesson

Dirty Jobs,, in case you haven't seen it, is a show on the Discovery Channel where Mike Rowe gets to do some of the dirtiest jobs out there. Been a totally gross show, my boys, including Fred, just love it. We have watched this guy crawl through sewers, spray for roaches and remove sperm horses and bulls. Ugh.

Today, as I was cleaning out the car, I came in for a breather and some air conditioning.

Mike Rowe was working with a wrecking crew this week, knocking down walls, etc. He paused to talk about the people passing by this soon to be demolished building, on their way home from "clean" jobs. He mentioned that one woman was stressed at work and was getting married the following week. He said she was end the end of a frayed rope. So they invited her up to the building and allowed her to throw brick through glass windows and then let her sledge hammer some walls. After a little while she was feeling much more relaxed.

Rowe closed by stating that the people that worked for the wrecking company were very laid back, stress free people.

Some days I think I need to get a physical job. Or.....I could just go to the gym. Not quite the same, but hey, I think I may have a hard time breaking in to the world of demolition.

Savage Chickens

These guys crack me up. This is a tame one for them.....to see more click here.

Friday, June 27, 2008

I was "this" close.....

So, Fred's birthday is coming and Father's Day has just past and I came up with the perfect gif. I saw something and I made arrangements and then told Fred to mark his calendar. We had plans for Sunday the 29th.

This was a month ago.

He has been stumped all this time.

Until tonight.

Fred and I had dinner at Big Daddy's (the hole in the wall restaurant Madelaine works at on the lake) then went out on the lake and went back for dessert and to settle our bill. While we were sitting there shooting the breeze with some of the other customers and the owner, they were talking about seeing Spam-a-Lot at the Bass Performance Hall in Ft. Worth.

Fred was chatting with them and said..."So Spam-a-lot is in Ft. Worth?" then his head whipped around and looked at me with a big sh8t-eating grin on his face. One look was all he needed. He turned back to them and said..."Guess where I am going this weekend!"

This was the closest I have ever gotten to surprising Fred. He has an uncanny way of sniffing my plans out.

So...Fred and I are going to see Spam-a-lot this weekend, with his birthday brother Shedrick (Pencil Neck Geek) and his lovely wife, my friend Amy. I am sure it will be a fun night...even though it is no longer a surprise.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Multiply Premium

Have you all seen this? For $20 a year you can get:

Ad-free browsing and sharing

Unlimited secure storage space

Full resolution photos and videos stored forever

Higher video upload limits (200 MB or 20 minutes)

I have to admit I worry a little about the storage "forever" thing. Didn't we all think that about last photo storage we trusted. (so far Flickr rocks!) It also makes me wonder....what do we have now if they are going to let us pay for full resolution. Hhhhhmmmm.

It might be worth it to get rid of the Philippine Bride ads...although they did get rid of those hideous "Glam" Fashion photos. (Thanks Multiply!)

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Summer of the Sequels - Artemis Fowl

No...I am not talking about the new Indiana Jones movie!!! I am talking about BOOKS! And what a summer it is going to be for books. There are so many new chapters in some of the series that I am reading that I am about to burst! I don't know where I will find time to read them all...but trust me, I WILL FIND TIME! Here are a few that are nearest and dearest to my heart!

Artemis Fowl (series) by Eoin Colfer

Artemis Fowl is a young man who wants to make a name for himself. His father is missing and their family fortune is in jeapordy, so Artemis, genius that he is, devises a plan...he is going to steal the fairies' gold.

Yup. You heard right. Fairies' gold. When I first started listening to this story (on audiobook) I was completely surprised at how well the author slipped that one by me. I was going along thinking that this was just another action story, when all the sudden there were fairies and centaurs and goblins, oh my!

Seriously, this is not your typical fairy story. Holly Short is an elf that is on her way to perform an ancient ritual that will "recharge" her powers...that is when Artemis strikes and takes her captive. Her commander, Root, and the rest of the team at LEPrecon (Lower Elements Police...what did you think it stood for?) including the ever entertaining Foaly, a centaur who wear an aluminum foil hat to prevent the people above ground from scanning his brain. Well, this portion of the story segues into a further adventure and soon Artemis is working side by side with the people from LEPrecon. There are many adventures in store!

I have to confess that I have never read one of these books. I have listened to the whole series on audio and now that they newest chapter of the Artemis series is coming out, I can't help but wonder...will I be able to wait to get this on audio? Or will I have to read it immediately?

A word on the audio version. The reader, Nathaniel Parker is amazing! He does all of the charecter voices so well, that you have a hard time beleiving it is the same person reading all of the parts. If you read or listen to the series, there is an episode where Artemis shifts back to his initial bad attitude and when Nathaniel Parker reverts to his initial "Artemis" tone and voice you say...."Oh my gosh...I hadn't realized how much he had changed over the course of these books!" What an excellent testement to Eoin Colfer's writting and Nathaniel Parker's reading.

Personal note: I have a son named Owen and when I was pregnant with him, my father in law asked if we were going to use the "proper" Irish spelling. We didn't, spelling it Owen, naming him for our great uncle. Now Owen, a huge fan of Eoin, writes on his name on all of his school work "Owen/Eoin".

Second peronal note: My friend Amy got to meet Eoin Colfer at Book Expo America! I am soooo jealous.

So...aren't you chomping at the bit to read them! Here they are in order:

Artemis Fowl

Artemis Fowl and the Arctic Incident

Artemis Fowl and the Eternity Code

Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception

Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony

AND COMING SOON! (July 15th...or 22nd for us audio fans!) Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Summer of the Sequels - Artemis Fowl

This started out as one blog, but as it grew to four pages in Word, with still more to go, I thought I would break it up a bit.

No...I am not talking about the new Indiana Jones movie!!! I am talking about BOOKS!

And what a summer it is going to be for books. There are so many new chapters in some of the series that I am reading that I am about to burst! I don't know where I will find time to read them all...but trust me, I WILL FIND TIME!

Here are a few that are nearest and dearest to my heart!

Artemis Fowl (series) by Eoin Colfer




Artemis Fowl is a young man who wants to make a name for himself. His father is missing and their family fortune is in jeapordy, so Artemis, genius that he is, devises a plan...he is going to steal the fairies' gold. Yup. You heard right. Fairies' gold.

When I first started listening to this story (on audiobook) I was completely surprised at how well the author slipped that one by me. I was going along thinking that this was just another action story, when all the sudden there were fairies and centaurs and goblins, oh my!

Seriously, this is not your typical fairy story. Holly Short is an elf that is on her way to perform an ancient ritual that will "recharge" her powers...that is when Artemis strikes and takes her captive. Her commander, Root, and the rest of the team at LEPrecon (Lower Elements Police...what did you think it stood for?) including the ever entertaining Foaly, a centaur who wear an aluminum foil hat to prevent the people above ground from scanning his brain.

Well, this portion of the story segues into a further adventure and soon Artemis is working side by side with the people from LEPrecon. There are many adventures in store!

I have to confess that I have never read one of these books. I have listened to the whole series on audio and now that they newest chapter of the Artemis series is coming out, I can't help but wonder...will I be able to wait to get this on audio? Or will I have to read it immediately?

A word on the audio version. The reader, Nathaniel Parker is amazing! He does all of the charecter voices so well, that you have a hard time beleiving it is the same person reading all of the parts. If you read or listen to the series, there is an episode where Artemis shifts back to his initial bad attitude and when Nathaniel Parker reverts to his initial "Artemis" tone and voice you say...."Oh my gosh...I hadn't realized how much he had changed over the course of these books!" What an excellent testement to Eoin Colfer's writting and Nathaniel Parker's reading.

Personal note: I have a son named Owen and when I was pregnant with him, my father in law asked if we were going to use the proper Irish spelling. We didn't, spelling it Owen, naming him for our great uncle. Now Owen, a huge fan of Eoin, writes on his school work Owen/Eoin.

Second peronal note: My friend Amy got to meet Eoin Colfer at Book Expo America! I am soooo jealous.

So...aren't you chomping at the bit to read them! Here they are in order:

Artemis Fowl
Artemis Fowl and the Arctic Incident
Artemis Fowl and the Eternity Code
Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception
Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony

AND COMING SOON! (July 15th...or 22nd for us audio fans!)

Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Summer of the Sequels - Percy Jackson and the Olympians

This started out as one blog, but as it grew to four pages in Word, with still more to go, I thought I would break it up a bit.



Percy Jackson and the Olympians (series) by Rick Riordan



We first meet Percy in the book The Lightning Thief. Poor Percy has been to multiple schools, but has never managed to fit in well. He gets in trouble and does poorly in his classes. When we meet him, he starts to wonder if there is something strange going on with one of his teachers. And then, while on a class trip, he gets attacked by horrible winged creatures. Good thing his Latin teacher tosses him a Bic Pen. Strange how it turned into a sword ...and even stranger that Percy seems to be a natural at wielding it. Turns out Percy is not who he thought he was; he is instead the son of a god and a mortal woman. Percy gets sent to Camp Half-Blood where he learns to follow his destiny...and journeys on some amazing quests.

I would highly recommend this series for adults, especially the first book, the Lightning Thief. Fans of "O Brother Where Art Thou" will appreciate the modern variations on classic myths.

Series Titles:
Lightning Thief
Sea of Monsters: Percy and friends set off and brave the Bermuda Triangle to rescue Grover from the Cyclops and find the Golden Fleece.
Titan's Curse: Percy, Grover, Annabeth, and Thalia are led by the oracle on a cross country quest in hopes of saving one of their own.

NEW THIS SUMMER!!!



Battle of the Labyrinth: Camp Half-Blood’s security is threatened by the invading army of Kronos. Percy and pals set out on yet another quest, this time through the Labyrinth. I haven’t read this yet, but Freddy finished it in under a day and Owen in two. I better read it soon or there will be no end to their mockery!

Summer of Sequels - The Last Apprentice

This started out as one blog, but as it grew to four pages in Word, with still more to go, I thought I would break it up a bit.

Last Apprentice (series) by Joseph Delaney



As the seventh son of a seventh son, Tom’s mother told him that he was special, but this kind of special, Tom he could live without. His parents have him apprenticed to the local “spook,” Mr. Gregory. Got a ghost, witch, or boggart? Who ya gonna call? (sorry, dated reference) The Spook travels from town to town taking care of whatever mystical malice threatens you.

I have blogged about this series before but the finer points bear repeating. The book is not a standard size. It is a little shorter, almost squat and fits in the hand well. The pages are rough, and the edged ragged, reinforcing the journalistic style of the writing.

Many times the first page of the book is black with white etchings and text, with the bulk of the pages being typical black print on cream colored pages. While the effect is subtle, it does grab you attention…the author does the rest with his words.

Creepy is the name of the game. The writing is not overtly violent, or gory but the detailed descriptions of the setting and Tom’s emotions have you sitting on the edge of your seat. Delaney has created a fully evolved world; a world in which holes need to be dug in certain dimensions and reinforced with steel in order to keep a witch. Tom knows this too. He has spent enough time digging them.

The book is punctuated with work from illustrator Patrick Arrasmith, whose scratchboard works manage to be finely detailed, but still appear primitive. Did I mention the word creepy before? Really, really creepy. I love the back art on the books that accompany warnings that read (as they do on every book) NOT TO BE READ AFTER DARK….especially page (page varies by book). Of course you turn straight to that page. And really, you shouldn’t. Especially if it is after dark.

Join Tom and Mr. Gregory as they face the challenges of the dark.


Oh, and just a bit of advice: Don’t trust girls in pointy toed shoes!

The Last Apprentice books include:

Revenge of the Witch
Curse of the Bane
Night of the Soul Stealer

AND NEW THIS SPRING

Attack of the Fiend

Summer of the Sequels - Keys to the Kingdom

This started out as one blog, but as it grew to four pages in Word, with still more to go, I thought I would break it up a bit.

Keys to the Kingdom (series) by Garth Nix



I love this series, but I have to admit, the first book of this series takes a little bit of setting up. Here is the premise: Once upon a time the designer of the Universe, the Architect, decided to step down as its ruler. She (yes, she) divided the kingdom into 7 realms and fashioned a key to each kingdom. She laid out all of the directions for her plans in the “Will.” Then she vanished.

The 7 holders of the keys to the kingdom decided they did not want to give up their rule, so they hid the will away in a far off location.

The first chapter of Mister Monday, the first book, describes how a piece of the will, animated and personified, escapes. This creates turmoil in the houses! Mister Monday devises a plan. He will give his key away to a dying human, and then take it back. That way he has obeyed they letter of the law, but still retains his kingdom. This backfires when Arthur Penhaligon, almost dead of asthma attack, becomes stronger and somewhat magical once he has the key in his hands. Not only does he live, but he keeps the key! The freed piece of the Will finds him and declares him the rightful heir to the kingdom and the quest is on.

Over the next several books, Arthur adventures through the week, claiming keys and helping those around him. Each of the kingdoms is a day and each of the key holders’s a vice. It is a well drawn out series with something for everyone.

Mister Monday
Grim Tuesday
Drowned Wednesday
Sir Thursday
Lady Friday


AND NEW THIS SUMMER:
Superior Saturday

Summer of Sequels - Alfred Kropp

This started out as one blog, but as it grew to four pages in Word, with still more to go, I thought I would break it up a bit.


Alfred Kropp (series) by Rick Yancey
Alfred’s life is about as unfortunate as his name. Bigger than most men, this young man faces a series of hardships that land him in foster care. When an unknown uncle comes to take him home, his life doesn’t improve much. You see, his uncle works in a very secure high rise building, and has been approached about a job. Someone wants his uncle to “remove” something from the building and have suggested that maybe Alfred should help.

As the adventure unfolds so does Alfred’s true identity. I often describe this as a cross between Indiana Jones and James Bond. This adventure will have you on the seat of your chair and staying up late to see how the helicopter chase turns out!

The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp

Alfred Kropp: the Seal of Solomon (#2)












COMING SOON! (June 24th)
Alfred Kropp: The Thirteenth Skull (#3)

Summer of Sequels - Ranger's Apprentice


This started out as one blog, but as it grew to four pages in Word, with still more to go, I thought I would break it up a bit.

Ranger’s Apprentice (series) by John Flanagan

Will has always lived in the castle and grown up with the same group of friends; but now that they are coming of age, they need to find future careers. Brought before the king and his aids, one by one all of the children are chosen into apprenticeship…except for Will. When it comes to him, the Ranger, spy for the kingdom, merely whispers something into the King’s ear and hands the King a note. Will knows there is something on that piece of paper that has to do with him, but how will he find out what it says? Late that evening, Will sneaks out of his bed and manages to scale the building into the King’s office. Just as he is about to find out what was written on the paper, a light goes on. It was a trap…set just for him. Turns out someone wants Will as an apprentice after all!

Both my son Freddy and I have read and love this series. Freddy did have something to say about the latest book and the possibility of a budding romance.

Here they are in order....
Ruins of Gorlan
The Burning Bridge
Icebound Land


NEW THIS SPRING:
Battle for Skandia

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Takes a washing and keeps on Moshing

Sorry to subject you to this title, but I wanted it to be catchy.

Two years ago, we purchased the iPod Shuffle for both of our sons. I remember being upset since the only "generation" of the Shuffle I could purchase was the clip on version. As soon as I saw the 1 inch square of nanotechnology I knew that one of them was going to end up in the washing machine, still clipped to the color of someone's shirt, or on the belt-loop of their jeans. I was even thinking about starting a household pool to see how long it would last. (My money was on Freddy before 6 mos had passed.)

I would have lost the pool. While they little things got misplaced in the cushions of the sofa and various other placed, not one ended up in the washing machine.

Feeling a little more confident we upgraded the boys iPods to the new chubby Nanos. I was jealous. Now the kids had double the song capacity I did, but hey, they were cute and I could buy a different color for each of them so there were no arguments about whose was whose.

Guess what I found in the wash? You got it! The Nano. The silver one. Freddy's. I knew it...I was just off a year! (and out an additional $100.00!)

I reported the sad news to Freddy and he was remorseful. My only consolation was that maybe I would get a newer larger iPod in the next year and I might pass on my retro nano to him.

Guess what?

IT STILL WORKS!!!!!!!

More and more I think of buying an Apple computer...you really do have to admire their products, don't you?

Frogs by Nic Bishop


Check out:
Frogs by Nic Bishop
2008
Scholastic Press
ISBN: 9780439877558

I belong to a group of librarians and educators that reviews books and selects what we believe to be the top 100. Texas Woman’s University Press then publishes a book with these titles called Librarian’s Choices.

We just met this past week and my professor brought this book to our attention. I thought it looked interesting but we were all talking about our books and it was kind of hectic. Someone took her copy for a second look.

Today, as I was reviewing new books being added to the library’s collection and I came across the book. I got to look and read it a little more leisurely and all I can say is WOW.

The language in it is simple but you can tell that the author looks at his subject matter with a child’s sense of wonder. “A bullfrog tadpole may take two years to turn into a small frog. Then it crawls out of the water, ready to explore its new surroundings.” In the book the second sentence is written in a different size and colored font, making your eyes leap to that point.

As an amateur photographer, I can’t help envying Nic Bishop’s skill. One of the shots has a frog caught in mid-air with a spray of water behind him, tongue stretched out before him, straining to reach his prey….and unsuspecting caterpillar. I would like to think that he has better equipment and more opportunities than I do. But that would just be sour grapes. The shots are gorgeous in high definition and vivid colors.

The book is written at an early elementary level, but frog loving readers above and below that level will still hop with delight over this book.

Monday, June 9, 2008

Sigh

इ ऍम हविंग थे हर्देस्त टाइम विथ

Let;s see if this changes anything.....

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Change

I am taking a class this summer on Marketing and Advocacy for
Libraries and the professor has opened the forum with a posting on
"Change" focusing on how much libraries have changed over the course
of time and how much change is ahead of us. I don't think this
concept is for libraries alone, but that we all constantly grow,
evolve and change over time. Sometimes it can be a sharp jolt and a
shock to our system. Other times it can be a gradual process, so slow
that we don't even realize that it has occurred.

I know that for the longest time I hated change. We all do to a
certain degree, but I think I was particularly fearful of the unknown.

When I was young my family moved often. Not for a job, or a better
opportunity, but because my step-mother was one of those people who
thought that the grass was greener somewhere else. Things were always
going to be better in a new town, or a new state. They never were.
There was one calendar year which was particularly bad: I attended 5
different elementary schools, spanning three states. I still have
issues with my multiplication tables (7s and 8s mostly), and I blame the constant interruption of my 4th grade education. We left behind possessions, equity in houses, purchased then quickly sold, and we lost friends.

It was hard being the new person...constantly. Philadelphia, where we
lived most of the time, and where I am "from" is not a place that gets
many new people. People are born and die never leaving their neighborhoods. To this day, most of our family lives within an hour of each other.

For better or worse, this is part of what made me who I am.

14 years ago, Fred was sent to TX to help open the DFW Air Hub for
UPS. Madelaine and I went to visit and we liked it well enough, but when UPS asked Fred to make Dallas his home, it felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. I was physically ill. I couldn't eat or sleep. How could I go someplace where I knew
no one? How could I raise our children without our family close by
for help? The icing on the cake was when I learned that not only was
I moving to TX, but I was moving in my last trimester of pregnancy.

Well, we moved. And I lived. And things were good...as a matter of
fact, things seemed to improve. I grew up, Fred and my marriage grew
and deepened, the kids blossomed. All was well.

As the kids got older and went off to school, I got a part time job at
our local library. This lead to an interest in library school and the changes of going back to school and being the new person all over again...only this time I was approaching 40. Again, while I still felt the initial discomfort of change, the end result was great. I started thinking that change might not be so bad after all.

Soon after starting library school I changed jobs and then was promoted when I obtained my degree. For four years I worked and every year they checked the box on my annual review that said I was an “agent of change." Who would have thought? Me, embracing and promoting change! With this in mind, I inflicted another change on my life....the PhD program. This one hurt a bit more than I expected. I spent a great deal of time crying and doubting abilities. The demands were different, but I grew to demand the same things of myself. My thought process changed along with me.

Sadly the last nine months of my life have brought about another series of changes. Not all of them self initiated. Leaving my former job was a change that I needed to make, and had known that for a while, but I was unwilling. I didn't want to give up the security, the money and the friendships that job had afforded. So, life threw me a curve and told me it was time to change, regardless of my readiness. Just like dominoes, there were more changes, including the one I currently face.

In two weeks I will leave my temporary job and move on to a new position. There will be changes and anxiety involved, but I am looking forward to it. But I worry a bit too. Am I turning into the person who thinks the grass will be greener elsewhere? While I don't want to be stuck in a quagmire of fear and inability to accept and be part of change, I don't want to be a job hopper either.

We all know things change but I think we are more comfortable when we have initiated them and much less so when they are thrust upon us. No one wants to be at the mercy of another and to be at the mercy of random acts of fate just seems horribly cruel. At the same time there is some freedom in that, isn’t there?

Oddly enough...as I sit writing this blog, an email alert just popped in my window. Someone just sent me the following quote from Thomas Jefferson:

I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions. But laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors. Thomas Jefferson.