The time has come. It is time for a pause from politics. I am unsubscribing from my politcal emails and list-serves. Moving on to the task at hand. Pausing to look deep inside. Who knows what will transcend over the next 10 years or so, but I want to be aware of the nuances of change happening to me. I already have noticed that I have less energy for political arguments–having left a lot on the table the last 2 years. No minds shifted, so no more time will be wasted. I will be digging deeper into the mission of the library and how it can serve communities that are economically depressed. I am looking forward to serving small towns and helping them move beyond their self-imposed limitations. I recently met with two small towns in rural Oklahoma. For days after meeting with the local communities, I thought about how pivotal the next steps are for them to get a new library. A place of transformation. The library: the place where one can pause, reflect and dig deep inside to be a better person. This is where my heart is. This is where my love is. Now to eliminate as many distractions as possible.
Of course, this has to be balanced with my new life and my need to hit the pause button. There was no “pause” button from the age of about 14 onwards. Working in my father’s garage, working in factories and offices in the summers during college, cleaning kitchens during college, and then hitting the ground running as soon as I graduated. Since 1981 it has been full tilt working for MS&R and growing the company. Now, with a great, energetic new group of owners working hard to carry on the tradition, I get to focus on just a few things–and not spend every night worrying about how to keep 50 people employed (at times this was overbearing and downright hard. I was raised to be “responsible” and I could not rest knowing that there was even a potential for someone to be laid off.) Those fears still haunt me, but I am learning how to let go (not an easy task.) So, as we move into 2014 I will say goodbye to the echo chambers of political bantering. I will be no less sad about people who hate other people, are racists, have no empathy or just do not give a damn about anything other than their own pocket book or their own skin. The time has come to live with the pause. Live slow…in short to live.
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