What a week!

I've been extremely busy this week and although I'm certainly starting to feel it now, I'm also very motivated by what I've been doing. On Monday, I started a new job as a librarian for a local elementary school. In addition to my part-time schedule at my previous job and my writing and my promotional efforts, I'm just a wee bit tired. I haven't had time until today to put together a thought much less enter it here on the blog.

I didn't realize just what schools were up against until I was told by my principal that I have absolutely no budget for books. My first thought was, "No budget for books? How are you supposed to run any kind of library without a book budget?" After a few moments of panic, I started to think about ways that I could get what I need for the library. People are always willing to donate things for kids, so I think the logical place to start is by asking people what they can do to help me build up the library's collection. This would be easier, of course, if people weren't scraping to put together what they need for their own families to get through each day. It's a shame that our government is so focused on fighting this war and manipulating us with their political shenanigans that they can't take care of what is needed here at home.

I always enjoyed visiting the school library when I was a kid. I spent lots of time there, so I'm hoping that I can make this library a place where kids really want to be. I think that without the library, my life would have been missing a very important component. I'm motivated by the notion that what I put into this job can make a big difference to a kid who might not realize what they would miss by not reading. Books open up doors for kids and make them realize that there is more to life than what is right in front of them. Readers become productive members of society. They get it. Some of them might even take up writing. It makes me happy to think that some years down the road, one of my kids might even be the next R.L. Stine or Beverly Cleary or even James Patterson all because they had a librarian who taught them to appreciate a good book.

The challenges I am facing in this new position are welcome challenges. As a writer, I know that I will truly enjoy having yet another ongoing opportunity to encourage children to read. I'll keep you posted as to my progress with the new job.

Until next time...



Subscribe to Benston Blogs by Email

Too much information...

While I ordinarily think it is a great idea to have open communication with others, I don't think that we need to be so open that we know too much about the people in our lives. I especially don't think we need to know that much about the people who entertain us. These days there is an overload of information about celebrities and the things they do and say in their personal lives. I'd just like to say that I really don't care what Dog the Bounty Hunter says during his personal phone calls. If he has a politically incorrect viewpoint, then he is the one who has to live with it. I am not sure that it warrants cancellation of his television show (did it really?). I'm not sure it even warrants our individual shock and dismay. In fact, I simply don't give a shit. There, I said it. Now I feel better.

I make it a point not to be disrespectful when addressing people of other races, cultures, religions, etc. but I do this because I tend to like people of all races, cultures and religions. I simply don't have the kind of racial and cultural biases that would have me bust out and use the "n" word. It's just not my style. I don't like the "n" word, but I also hate the word, "awesome." I have different reasons for hating each of these words, but basically, they just aren't words I would use comfortably. This is not to say that I don't often call a skank a skank. On the rare occasion when I am judgemental, I tend to judge people based on my observations of how well they respect those around them. For example, if I see a young man standing outside somewhere and he is using alot of foul language and acting like a fool, my first thought is, "What a dumbass!" or something similar to that. It doesn't really matter to me what race he might be, that's not the issue. The issue at hand is his blatant disrespect for those around him. Of course, this is based on my own personal opinions about what is offensive. Some people may not find this type of behavior to be offensive and I am not always offended by it, myself. It really just depends on whether or not my daughter is with me and the context of the scenario. There is a time and place for things. Some people just don't seem to have any idea when and where these things are appropriate.

This brings me back to the situation with Dog. He may well know when and where he can say things like this and he may have thought that he was having a private conversation with his son. I don't know. When I talk with my family on the telephone, we pretty much say whatever is on our minds without worrying that we will be blasted on the evening news as being terrible people. We all have our moods and I'm sure that most people have said things that they know would not be particularly popular should they be broadcast for all to hear. That's the point of having private conversations. That's why we shouldn't care what celebrities do when they are trying to lead the portion of their lives that has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of us. How much do we need to know? How pathetic are our lives that we must live vicariously through the famous people who find themselves in the spotlight? Once and for all, I don't care how many times Lindsay Lohan goes to rehab, I have no interest in what Brittney Spears is doing at any point in time, and I could give a flying shit about the next child that Brad and Angelina decide to rescue from an unfortunate existence. I'd really like to hear about things that are important for a change.

Just once I'd like to turn on the news and hear a really good explanation for why gasoline is $3.00 per gallon or why I can't shop for groceries without spending at least $100 a week. I would love to hear some news that explains why the cost of living is so high, yet families are expected to support themselves on minimum wage that is embarrassingly disproportionate to the amount of work being done in minimum wage jobs. What about some information about medical technology and how close we are to finding cures for disease? Can we ever discuss things that actually make a difference or am I required, make that sentenced to hear all the news I can possibly absorb about Rosie O'Donnell's next creative endeavor or about which celebrity spent their time punching out the paparazzi this week?

This is probably not a great attitude for someone who hopes at some point to achieve notoriety for my own creative efforts. I realize that celebrities are interesting and that there are people out there who feel that they need to know everything there is to know about their lives. But I remember a time when a little mystery was a good thing. I remember leaving some things to the imagination and being able to view celebrities as something special. I don't want to know everything about them. Though I love Johnny Depp, I really do not want to know much more about him than when his next movie will be out and that he is working on something new. Well, at least not unless he plans to propose to me...but that's not likely now is it? Besides, I'm taken. The point is, I'm sure that celebrities would love to have some part of their private lives back. Though I hear all of the time that this is the price they pay for stardom, I think that's a pretty lame excuse for using celebrity news as a smokescreen so that no one has to report anything useful.

I have to go for now, it's time for the news and I don't want to miss my daily dose of the War in Iraq recap, fifteen to twenty different stories about local crime and traffic accidents, a mediocre weather report and of course whatever our local station can dig up from the celebrity news feeds that are so vital to the state of our nation today. I can just feel myself losing brain cells over here...

Until next time...