Where did the Summer go?

It's happened again. Summer has sped by in a matter of what seems like minutes.There were so many things I had hoped to do. Actually, I did many of them, but not all.

During June, I took a Spanish class. It met every Tuesday and Thursday evening for 1 1/2 hours. I would have like to continue during July and August, but M. and I had plans to go away and I would have missed 2 classes (1/4 of the course) each month.

In July, we had a mini-vacation in Lenox. We stayed at the Cornell Inn. It was lovely and the service was great as well as the complimentary breakfasts. Many of the rooms are named after First Ladies and we were in Grace (as in Coolidge). We saw A Midsummer Night's Dream performed by Shakespeare & Co. outdoors at The Mount. Outdoors is an ideal setting for this play as the performers run in and out of the trees.

The next day, we toured Chesterwood, the summer home of sculptor Daniel Chester French. Then headed back to see Cymbeline, Shakespeare's (probably) last play. While the story was confusing (so much going on) it was spectacularly performed.

August meant another mini-vacation, this time in NYC. August is a great time to go to the city since so many residents go away. Hotels have special (cheaper) rates and things are not nearly as crowded as they usually are. We saw Michael Moore's Broadway show The Terms of My Surrender. It was very much like watching a Michael Moore movie, but it was only him talking and a few simple sets that slid on and off the stage as needed.

Basically, it was a series of anecdotes, things he (and a few other people) has done throughout his life that have actually made a big difference. Like when at age 17 he entered an essay contest sponsored by the Elks. He was upset that the application form said "Caucasians only". This was 1971 and the Elks did not allow Blacks to join their fraternal organization. His essay pointed out the error of that policy and ultimately the Elks were integrated. Of course, when he told the story, it was a lot funnier.

The whole point of the show was that if a schmuck like him can make a difference by getting involved, anyone can. Throughout the 2 hours he periodically encouraged people to get involved, run for office, SPEAK UP.

Tomorrow is September 1. In a couple of weeks, M. and I are heading for Chicago to Expo Chicago at the Navy Pier. This is an international show of art and design and one of M.'s galleries will have a booth with pieces of his furniture. He has to be there to install a large cabinet and then we'll have a few days of "free play" before spending time at the show. It's been many years since I've been to Chicago and that was for a conference. I didn't really get to explore on my own.

I guess I can't complain about not doing things during the summer. But I do wish it were MUCH longer.

The Continuing Education Conundrum

A few times during the year, I give continuing education workshops through the Massachusetts Library System or the Connecticut State Library. They are generally on cataloging topics such as RDA (the new cataloging standard), MARC (the encoding scheme used in libraries), the Dewey Decimal System (do I really need to explain it?), or similar topics about which practicing library staff need to know.

But I have mixed feelings about them.

The cons:
They are a lot of work. If the topic is new or has changed a lot since I last presented, it takes a lot of time and research to put together or revise a 3 hour program.

Presenting requires a lot of energy. If I'm giving 2 workshops on the same day or one that lasts all day, and especially if I have to drive any distance, I'm wiped out for the next couple of days.

The pros:
They pay well.

There is a lot of ego gratification.

During the workshop I'm energized and feel great. Adrenaline is a wonderful thing.

For the last few years, I've been thinking that this will be my last year of Continuing Education; I'll take in my shingle and spend more time relaxing (or cleaning house). And then I get a call or an email asking if I can give a workshop on Copy Cataloging or another topic.

But something has changed.

Next week I'm scheduled to present a program on Public Speaking for Librarians and I'm REALLY PSYCHED! I'm actually enjoying reading (or re-reading) books on public speaking. And watching TED talks. And reviewing my notes. And making revisions. And thinking about examples. Maybe it's the topic.

All I know is that I'm really happy to be doing this. No mixed feelings whatsoever. And the euphoria is spilling into other aspects of my life. While I always like leading the senior exercise class, this morning I could hardly wait to get to the Town Hall and begin. I felt great! I'm still feeling great.

Watch out world. HERE I COME!