A Surprise Visit

Knock! Knock!

             Back turned, I saw Jennifer’s red, long, and delicate fingernails knocking the glass panel. Instinctively, I knew someone was looking for me. And I was right. I saw her face right away through the glass partition. Swiftly I put down books, pushed the door, and walked to Lady J, one of my regulars who likes to hug me at our each encounter in the library. As we hugged to say our “hello” I came to understand that she brought her husband with her today for as I was hugging her I saw a gentleman stand not too far from where we stood.

            “This is my hubby, Gentleman R” “Nice to meet you sir, FINALLY.” Smiled, I took them to a table with 3 chairs around. Lady J left us there while she went to find some books to take home. Gentleman R and I conversed as if we are friends for I have known about him from Lady J. Gentleman R told me he has had difficulty of sleep. I said “because your mind is racing all the time.” I could tell plenty of issues and concerns occupied this gentleman. Then Lady J came to join us and shared with me what’s happening in their life. Aging is a process full of agony, anxiety, uncertainty, pain, you name it. I almost could understand the cruelty, yet I kept my lips tight for I am not the one wearing the same shoes. I, myself, am also aging and have the touch and the slow after-taste from the same process. Who isn’t?

            Walked them to the door, the husband and I waited in front of the library while the wife went to drive her car in the rain. “You have a good wife.” “I worry about her.” “She does the same.” Then all was quiet except the sound of the non-stopping autumn rain in this weekend afternoon. I waved my goodbye as I watched the car leave the premises.

           How touched I was by this warm and surprise visit from a friend. It’s a rainy day and they seemed in a hurry. Yet they took all the troubles to just stop by to see me. The exhaust and fatigue of hers were so obvious that I touched her face twice this afternoon. “Take care of yourself.” I repeated my concerns as my fingers caressed her cheek and the wrinkles around her left eye. Worries age a person fast and very effectively as if tailored and generated by orders from the unknown.

            Been married for more than 34 years is a long time. The mutual concerns and the joy of companionship radiate from both of them at different times. Yet the density and depth are equal. “Live in today, at present, and now” I told them. The best way to get rid of worry and concern is to focus on the present; the moment you know you are alive, active, and living. Nothing is realer than when you are conscious and know you are breathing.

Destiny and fate may have been planned. But you are in control of how to proceed today.

Mei-Wan, 11 Now!

            Did you have your “WOW” moment recently? I did, just yesterday, at work. Thanks to our attractive, hard working CSR Jennifer, I had a good day and something good to share with my family at dinner table.

            The list is called “RTF” and it has to be printed out, searched, processed, placed in according tubs, and delivered to branches and the Central library. It’s a list of patrons’ requests sent by the system each morning. After the CSR handle the filling and process, I would pick up the rest left behind on the list to practice my hunt of treasure. Yesterday it’s no exception; there were 13 items left on the RTF.

            “I missed you yesterday, Mei-Wan” said Jennifer, as I passed the circulation desk yesterday on my way to the information desk. She told me what happened yesterday, the day I was scheduled off. “Mei-Wan would want it to be single digit on the RTF” mumbled Jennifer to herself as she tried hard to locate the items for the waiting patrons. Proudly, Jennifer told me, she managed to reduce the number to 9: only 9 items couldn’t be found to fill the requests.

            “Let’s start from the number 13 then.” I told Jennifer. As the day went by, I could hear Jennifer “howl” quietly from the cir desk: 12, Jennifer waved the book at hand with pride. “Mei-Wan, 11 Now!” moment later she announced another victory. “Hey, Jen, save some fun for me” jokingly I pleaded from where I was standing.

            One by one, one after another, together, Jennifer and I made the list shorter and shorter. When the number became two, I was very pleased. Then Jennifer came to me; actually she danced her way to me with her feet proudly stamping on the floor as if an innocent child just opened her first Christmas present sent from the Santa Claus. The exhilaration and excitement were straightforward and contagious. I remember I was looking up at her direction and saw a halo of light radiating behind her; there were big windows at the children’s area. Centered in the view with wings made of lights, Jennifer looked like an angel to me. Then it’s my turn to be thrilled: I found the last book on the list. “Jennifer, Jennifer!” She turned to me and saw me waving my arm with the book at hand. We walked to each other. “Yeh!” We high fived with smiles so open, so big, and so real.

We had our “WOW” moment. It’s a joy from a great teamwork.

           

Second Monthly Meeting

Attendees: Fiona, Ruby, Mei-Wan

Time: 12 pm, Wednesday, 9-26-2012

Place: Library Auditorium

Description:

           First of all, decision of next meeting date was made: it would be the last Wednesday of October, 10-31-2012, at 12 pm.

           Fiona was the first to share with the members what she learned from reading the book: Amber Brown Sees Red by Danziger, Paula. The first thing out of her lips was she did learn about the American culture from the story itself. The conflict between three grown-ups and the way the characters handled the issues at hand are intriguing and inspiring to Fiona. It’s like the West vs the East.

            Per the librarian’s suggestion, Fiona halted the urge to look up at dictionary whenever she ran into a word she couldn’t comprehend. Though some vocabularies gnawed at her as she proceeded to read she was able to enjoy the story without any interruption or distraction. Later she shared with us what words bugging her as she was reading. They are: smear, janitor, and skunk. Fiona thought it would be a good idea to just write down the words she couldn’t understand and check them up later as she finishes the chapters when she calls it a day.

            Fiona found the book interesting and would like to stay with the same author. It’s a good start. Based upon Mei-Wan’s own experience, the best way to improve one’s reading skill and the language skills is to find an author whose books interest you and you would like to learn more about what’s happening next to the characters. It’s better a series with same characters so a reader is able to get familiar with the writing patterns, composing skills, vocabulary, the layout of the story, and grammar patterns done by the same author.

            Ruby is the first recruit and the first member of WOW Reading Club. Thanks to her, the librarian understands she is at the right direction and on the path to assist public library users with need of improving their reading skills.

            Equipped with strong drive and sincere commitment, not only did Ruby discover the right author for her she also accomplished something right before the first monthly meeting. Ruby already finished a series by the author, Van Draanen, Wendelin, titled: Shredderman. Her thirst for learning, self-commitment, and success tell us it’s never too late to build a healthy reading habit at any age.

            Ruby posed an interesting question at the meeting. The book she just finished reading seemed full of wild imaginations to her taste. She wondered if the content is age appropriate to the young school children. I thank Ruby for such question and doubt. If the time and life we are living in including the exploring the universe and outside the solar system, our mind and brain could reach out to any place as long as the gray matter is active, alive, and living. Sometimes, “why not,” allows a person to go beyond the horizon and invites ideas to become thrilling, brilliant creations.

            The librarian explained the name of the Reading Club: WOW Reading Club. Mei-Wan experienced her “WOW” moment years ago at the local Border bookstore one cold afternoon reading a book By Robert Parker. To Americans, the term “ebony and ivory” might seem so ordinary. To Mei-Wan, the sight of the term was a shock. It’s a beautiful moment and a sense of appreciation of the language surged. “That’s the reason why a translated book is neither good nor authentic to a reader” wondered Mei-Wan that same afternoon.

            “It might take years for your “WOW” moment to come” said Mei-Wan at the meeting. Read on, the joy is always there for you to be found. Read on, the thrill of a “WOW” is buried inside you. Dig it up by READING!!!!

What’s Your Name?

“It’s been a while I didn't see you.”

“How are you?”

The nice lady smiled as she was approaching to the information desk. Though I didn’t know her name, the question implied she recognized me. I did know she is one of our regulars.

“What kind of hunger” I mumbled and asked her as I typed in the title: The Hunger Fix. After filled her request and returned her library card, I asked her: do you know the subtitle of the book I just requested for you? A head shake meant no. 

“The Three-Stage of Detox and Recovery of Plan for Overeating and Food Addiction” 

"Ha ha ha"

Wow…

"I learned about this book last night from a radio talk show. I got curious about the book." From that we began our conversation. We talked about food, body shape, fitness, Taiwan, and tea.

 Tea! 

“Are you a tea person?”

“Yes”

“I know you didn’t come to my tea program.”

“When?”

“This past March. Could you wait for me? I will give you some tea bags to take home to sample.”

“Ok.”

“These 2 are jasmine green tea, these 2 are green tea, and these 2 are oolong team,” 

I named the tea bags as I placed them on her palm. 

“They are locally available; one can purchase from the local Chinese grocery stores. Are you familiar with Plano city?” 

“Yes.” 

With help of a tiny piece of paper and a short pencil I drew a simple map with direction, street names, and store names on it. The conversation went on as I walked her to the front door. 

“There is a special activity tomorrow in Plano” I explained with my finger pointed to the flyer I hung early today for the public to know about the special event celebrating the Mid Autumn Festival.

 “What’s your name?” 

"Mei-Wan” 

“My name is Lady D.”

 “Nice to meet you.”

Then she told me about herself and what happened this summer. With my left hand on her right shoulder, I invited her to come to my programs.

 “The public library is a social platform for the public to meet each other, to make new friends, and to simply enjoy oneself” 

I explained the reasons why there are always food and tea services at each of my program. Relaxed and comfortable, people would be at ease and savoring goodies and tea invite friendly chitchats. People have a place to be heard, listened to, and talk to.

 “It’s windy; looks like it’s going to rain. Take care, look forward to seeing you.” 

Then I tapped her shoulder again as if placing a hug on her. 

“Bye”

            It’s a good way to say goodbye of the day, don’t you agree?

Five Vital Elements

Heart is love

Center of the universe

Compassion and appreciation

Say it all

Liver is fire

Headquarter of energy

Put yourself on fire

Success is weaving ahead

Spleen is earth

Foundation of beings

Enough rain and care

And full growth is expected

Lungs are wind

Transmitted of seeds

Sending chimes of soothing bells

Announcing the oncoming of hope

Kidneys are water

Circulation of elements

Rinsing regularly and earnestly

Sinful deeds washed away without trail

MW/11-13-2007

Logic of Three “H”

The Heart is for love

Love the persons you choose

No pain ever in your shoes

Love the jobs you working on

Satisfaction is guaranteed

All in all

Relish what you have at hand

The Head is for strategy

No hurdles are too high to jump over

Since you are brave enough to try

Exercising matter of the gray

Success is heading your way

Plotting well ahead

Joy is in parade

The Hand is for action

Directed by the passion you have

You are not too far away from delight

Operating with conscience

Every day is blessed with a peaceful night

Action taken

Your life is full of surprises and prizes

MW/11-13-2007

Member's August Read/Ruby's

Ruby’s August Read

Title: The Gecko & Sticky: Villain’s Lair/1

Author: Van Draanen, Wendelin

Summary:

            This is a story about an adventure of a thirteen-year-old boy and a talking gecko lizard.

            One day, Dave, a little boy had saved a gecko from the clutches of a neighbor’s cat, and found out it was a talking gecko. The gecko who named “Sticky” recovered from an ancient Aztec treasure hidden for hundreds of years in the folds of a secret cavern was a wristband. But the power band had to combine with shiny notched coins then appeared the magic power just like invisibility, lightning speed, super-strength…that sort of thing.

            Those magic coins are in the hand of a treasure hunter, who had promised Sticky the life of a king if he could bring the power band and the ingots out of the cavern. But in the end, he had betrayed Sticky. So Dave helped Sticky go to a spooky mansion where the evil hunter lived.

            Finally, the police caught Damien Black (the treasure hunter) and kept him as a prisoner. Dave got all the magic coins, of course.

            “School is your job and your only job, son. Prove yourself at this one and you’ll be a rich executive someday!”

Ruby’s View and Impression:

            The character in this story is very smart, brave, cool-minded, and calm. The author’s capability to get readers engaged by her imaginative writing style impressed Ruby the most. She was able to engage herself in reading so intensely that she didn’t have time to spare to check dictionary for new words in the book.

            The most challenge Ruby ran into reading this series is the vocabulary the author chose: the words are new to Ruby. But, it wouldn’t deprive her of joy of reading this series. Ruby would go on reading Ms. Van Draanen’s books and, meanwhile, she would like to try the fairy series written by Ms. Meadow for they might be easier for her.

            The word “disguise” is the one that impressed and stayed with Ruby after finishing this book. At the meeting we learned this new word “disguise” that means camouflage. Thanks, Ruby.

            Good work, Ruby. Read on!!!!

Member's August Read/Fiona's

Fiona’s August Read

Title: Amber Brown Sees Red

Author: Danziger, Paula

Summary:

            Amber Brown is a fourth grade student and she is getting taller than in third grade. Her parent got divorced and father moved to Paris. Her mom has a boyfriend whose name is Max. In her school, if something new takes place all of the student will nickname it “Bulletin.” One day school had a smelly smell. The school had an arrangement to send all students home. But Amber’s mom was busy at her meeting at the time. She thought nobody will pick her up from school.

            All of a sudden, she saw her mother’s boyfriend, Max, standing and waiting in front of the school; he came to pick her up. In addition, they went to bowling with her best friend. They were so happy; they had a great time. Max became their bowling coach later.

            One day Amber’s father moved back from Paris and told her they will live in an apartment together. But Amber’s mother was not happy about this idea even after Amber’s father told her that Amber will have her own new bed and furniture. Her mother felt uncomfortable with this either.

            I thought her mom take care of Amber for such a long time, but the father came back from Paris. He didn’t say any word about why he left them for this long time. Now, in need of a family, he just wanted her daughter back.

            One day, Amber had a bowling contest and she saw her father just stand behind her mom and Max. Max was so nice to her mom. Amber’s father looked very lonely. Maybe the fact they didn’t separate is better than now.

            Finally, Amber understood life is not perfect and she still had to learn things. She loved bowling and learned how to be part of the team. Also she understood her life is a little like the game of bowling: things change all the time.

Fiona’s View and Impression:

            The character in the book is very smart and optimistic. To Fiona, reading this book provides her an opportunity to learn about the American culture, to understand more about why people living in the West would behave a bit different from where she came from. Children facing their parents’ divorce and the fact there is a live-in boyfriend act differently. In this book, events and things the protagonist (the main character) came across, though serious and hard to swallow, taught her good lessons that are not available or listed in formal education (schooling).

            The most challenge Fiona felt about reading this book is not to look up at a dictionary. Asked about how comprehensive she was after reading this book, she graded herself 85%. It’s a good number and a good start for her to go on reading more books by the same author. We look forward to hearing more good stories from Fiona.

            “Smear,” “janitor,” and “skunk” are vocabularies/new words Fiona learned and shared with the club members.

Good work, Fiona. Read on!!!

September Read/4

Title: Go-Givers Sell More

Author: Bob Burg and John David Mann

Subjects: Selling; Customer Relations

Call Number: 658.85 B954G 2010

Page Number: 193

ISBN: 9781591843085

Summary: “The great upside-down misconception about sales is that it is an effort to get something from others. The truth is that sales at its best-at its most effective-is precisely the opposite: it is about giving.”

            “With their national bestseller The Go-Giver, Bob Burg and John David Mann took the business world by storm, showing that giving is the most fulfilling and effective path to success. That simple, profound story has inspired hundreds of thousands of readers around the world-but some have wondered how its lessons stand up to the tough challenges of everyday real-world business.”

            “As Burg and Mann demonstrate, it's far more productive (and satisfying) when salespeople think like Go-Givers. Cultivate a trusting relationship and focus exclusively on creating value for the other person, say the authors, and great results will follow automatically. Drawing on a wide range of examples of real-life salespeople who have prospered by giving more, Burg and Mann offer tips and strategies that anyone in sales can start applying right away.” (quoted from the inside of the book jacket)

Authors’ website: www.GoGiversSellMore.com

My Read: It’s my belief that it would make a person happy and happier being a giver instead of a taker. Listed in the book there are five laws of stratospheric success: the law of value, the law of compensation, the law of influence, the law of authenticity, and the law of receptivity.

            The law of value: the best service is for a person to create value for others. You give because it’s who you are and, therefore, what you do. A good salesperson creates value for others by “excellence, consistency, attention, empathy, and appreciation.” Actually those five “how to” can be applied to everyone’s life at work and at home everyday. The law of compensation: your compensation is an echo of impact. Ask yourself: how many people’s lives have you touched today? A small gesture like complimenting the person at the checkout line brought out a brilliant smile and it made you smile back. It’s priceless, isn’t it?

            The law of influence: to serve others well by not only follow up but follow through. A good service is to complete a process (action) and take it to its fullest conclusion. I agree with the authors’ view that “Good competition pushes and stretches the limits of what’s possible. In a very real sense, your competition is your best friend.” At work, I like to set goals of my own and to compete with others as well as myself. The seeking of success and win empowers me to go beyond the limits and the horizon, prompts me to be creative to discover any better solution, and piques my curiosity on issues at hand and those unseen or unknown at present or in the future. Yes, competition sometimes could be my best friend: it supports me intimately.

            The law of authenticity: it says “be real, be present, undersell, listen..” Be real is to know who you are. Be present is to make a connection with others. It’s better that you undersell and overdeliver. Listening means you hear what others really want and desire. The law of receptivity: to stay open. “Problems are simply opportunities in work clothes.”—Henry J. Kaiser. Be positive thinking when facing a crisis. Crisis is made of two elements: danger and opportunity. It’s your choice to see if the situation is threatening or an opening for opportunity. Don’t waste any opportunity.

            I wrote down the five “how to create value for other people” on a piece of paper serving as a reminder, an encouragement, a motto, and an inspiration. And,  as I did so I found it interesting that if I add the workplace and ME plus the five elements it makes the number 7 (seven): the numbers of color in a rainbow. It’s like a conclusion and a definition for what kind of life you want to live: a colorful life. So we have:

Excellence

Consistency

Attention

Empathy

Appreciation

Your workplace

YOU

Possible Read:

Endless Referrals-Bog Burg

Go-Giver-Bob Burg

It’s Not About You-Bog Burg and John David Mann

The Secret Language of Money-John David Mann

My Name Is Unique

            Did you ever ask your parents why they gave you this particular name for you as you were born, new to this world? My two boys requested to learn about how they came to have their own name at their childhood and over the years as they grow up together under and saving the same roof with each other with the same parents. Both of them own two names: one American and one Chinese. It’s obvious why for their parents came from Taiwan and they were born in US.

            The name we gave to our first boy came from the very first name on the name book we got from a bookstore for he was our first and the oldest son in the family. The care and education of the first child are very important for he plays a special role in the family. For Chinese each first born child carries the expectations his/her parents expect from him/her. And this oldest child would become the parents’ caretaker as they get old and need special care. If parents pass away, they would automatically become a father or a mother to hold the family intact and together.

            I expected my second one to be a girl so I didn’t undertake sonogram to learn about this child’s gender though I already had hindsight that I would have been wrong. Indeed, it turned out that there wouldn’t be any daughter for me in this life. Took the name “Allison” away from my mind we named our second child a rarely heard kind in our staying in the US, at least to us though later we learned it’s a popular name among the Americans.

            Both boys’ Chinese names were carefully calculated and selected by one of our best friends made in college. He picked the name for each boy matching to his unique personalities, destiny to face, and, coincidentally holding similar meanings to his given American name. Our first child has a powerful and simple form Chinese name; it’s easy to write and pronounce. On the other hand, the little one complained about the complexity and difficulty of his Chinese name. It’s also intriguing and interesting that if one pronounces his name in Taiwanese, the sound and the meaning of his name perfectly describe his unique characteristics and personalities. Both have a beautiful name.

            I used to hate my name for it’s so tawdry and typical to Taiwanese. And one could easily taunt me of my name in so many different ways. One could say my name to mean “I have unfinished business with you” in a funny manner. Or one could joke that there is no bowl sounding my name. The middle one, Mei, has been used and named girls that it’s very obvious to Taiwanese to know if this girl comes from Taiwan’s country regions. I was grouped in peasants at my first year in college in which the campus was located close to the capital. I felt so isolated from the city girls being a freshman.

            We used to joke about how we met by my garish name. It’s a name picking time for each boy in the class to choose his pen pal. As D came back from his daily rugby drill that day, there was no name for him. But wait. There was a piece of paper trashed on the ground; my name was on that tiny piece of paper. He had no choice but to accept that name and the person attached to the name to be his pen pal.

            Yes, my name may be tawdry, ordinary, or too common. Past experiences at youth made me dislike my name given by my grandfather. But my mother told me, more than once, that my grandfather was very fond of me. He was one of the 7 best known scholars in our living area. Everyday, my grandfather would carry me to his usual and favorite spot to read, study, and ponder: a stone under the big banyan tree. He was proud of me for I would sit quietly with him for hours. Though I didn’t hold any memory of this routine, the way my mother described got me wonder and couldn’t imagine how I could be silent or sit still for hours.

            If you ever wonder about your name, go ask your parents. If you feel lost in your life and/or don’t know about the meaning of your life, go ask your parents. Or if you have questions about self-worth and self-love , go ask your parents. Ask your parents how they picked the name for you and under what kind of circumstances. If they are not around, go check the meaning of your name. Your name bears with lots of information about who you are. Your name is yours, it’s unique to you.

            To others, my name may be too general or common to lay any imprint or impression. But it’s a name given with love, joy, and expectations by a person who was proud of me, who was well revered in his life. I didn’t use it often in the Chinese community but I used it at work, a place I consider my playground. My grandfather was good at composing poems, writing things that his peers couldn’t, and being a leader in his group and in the village. I have none of his talents. But I have a name he gave me. The name means beauty and grace. I have none of them. But it’s my given name.

            Mei-Wan is my name.

September Read/3

Title: Growing Up in Heaven:the Eternal Connection between Parent and Child

Author: Van Praagh, James

Subject: Spiritualism; Parent and Child

Call Number: 133.901 V273 2011

Page Number: 214

ISBN: 9780062024633

Summary:

Part I) Van Praagh reveals the reality that love transcends the physical and material planes of this world. Growing Up in Heaven lifts our spirits with the knowledge that our departed ones will always be with us—an extraordinary gift for all of us who yearn to understand life on the other side.   

     Blessed with an exceptional gift, New York Times bestselling author James Van Praagh has the ability to bridge the gap between this world and the next. Based on nearly thirty years of spirit communication, this renowned and beloved medium takes us on a powerful, eye-opening, and ultimately inspiring voyage. Filled with incredible and uplifting true stories and profound messages of love, this astounding look at heaven provides a remarkably detailed portrayal of the child's soul as it moves from this world to the next. Our eyes and hearts open and we experience firsthand the unbreakable bond between parent and child, all the while glimpsing a vision of heaven (quoted from the inside of the book’s jacket).

Part II) Another good book and inspiring messages from James! Please allow me to quote some of his saying from this book:

“The promise of a new day can be the birth of a new beginning.” (p3)

“The pain of grief is just as valuable as the joy of love. It is a matter of putting it all in balance.” (p22)

“We join with others to learn for no one can fully comprehend life without the assistance of others.” (p27)

“When a soul has fulfilled its purpose in life, death comes.” (p28)

“Life review is not about fault finding or punishment. Our mistakes are tools from which we learn about self-worth and self-love.” (p59)

“Everyone is born for the happiness of others.” (p62)

“The two good reasons we don’t remember our spiritual identities: first, if we knew all of our past lives and the horrendous things we were capable of, we would spend all our time obsessing about the past instead of working on our current soul lessons. Second, if we knew the answer to every problem that we faced, we would not evolve spiritually.” (p131)

“Although the soul memory may be hidden from our conscious rational minds, the soul’s thought patterns are always influencing the brain to behave in a certain way.” (p131)

“When we are aware that consciousness is limitless, we are able to raise our energy vibration and begin to experience synchronicity as a regular occurrence. We understand that nothing is coincidence, that accidents don’t happen and that we are not always in control of circumstances and events.” (p154)

Author’s website: www.vanpraagh.com

My Read: Do you ever wonder, like me, why some people behave certain way make you believe they might be saints or sages from other times, other lives? According to James, there are 4 levels of soul: young souls, mature souls, old souls, and earth angels. In my life I have met some people whose soul levels are higher like mine, no doubt. The wisdom and wits radiated from them are pretty polished, as if the spring’s breeze caressing one’s heart, touching, and radiant.

     James said there is no accident or coincidence that it’s planned before our birth. Sometimes, sense of deja-vu would occur and make us wonder the possibility of reincarnation. And, yes, it’s indeed.

         On page 131, the concept of “the valley of forgetfulness” is very similar to Chinese’s belief and saying of “孟婆湯”—drinking soup of Madam Meng’s to erase memories of one’s past life.

     It’s really true that “We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy.” (p159) In life, at work, facing a dilemma, it’s hard for me to just rely upon all seen factors to make decisions. What if…always a scary thought when certain solutions surface and some uncertainty came along with those answers. It’s interesting that as I read James’ book I happen to turn the pages to the notes I took from the book “Go-Giver Sell More.” There are five words I wrote down by the end of the notes: excellence, consistency, attention, empathy, appreciation.

     Excellence is a choice, a personal one. Consistency brings out better practice, exercise, and outcomes. Attention invites a person to become mindful, to live at present. Empathy allows a person to view situations and things from an unbiased perspective and angles. And appreciation makes a person a better one.

     I recommend whoever reads this book review to read James’s book, any book by him. If you have questions about your life, read. If you ever wonder about life: about why, how, what, and more whys, read. It’s not just about spirits, mediums, or readings; it’s about life, yours as well as others.

     His name is Van Praagh, James.

Possible Read:

Choices in the Afterlife—Vogel, Gretchen

Healing with the Angels—Virtue, Doreen

Ghosts among Us—Van Praagh, James

Healing Grief—Van Praagh, James

Heaven and Earth—Van Praagh, James

Reaching to Heaven—Van Praagh, James

Talking to Heaven—Van Praagh, James

Unfinished Business—Van Praagh, James

Witness from Beyond—Tweddell, Margaret

Your Word Is Your Wand—Shinn, Florence

Mind Magic—Shine, Betty

Your Soul’s Plan—Schwartz, Robert

Tunnel to Eternity—Rhodes, Leon

Through Death to Rebirth—Perkins, James Scudday

Journey of Souls—Newton, Michael

Life after Life—Moody, Raymond

The Power Is Within You—Hay, Louise

Power through Constructive Thinking—Fox, Emmet

Let Go and Live in the Now—Finley, Guy

Infinite Possibilities—Dooley, Mike

Return from Heaven—Bowman, Carol

The Next Life—Zain, C.C. (Elbert Benjamine)

Is There Any Urgency?

     Usually I would ask a patron the question “Is there any urgency for you to have the book?” when I fail to find the item s/he is looking for at the branch and have to place a request from other branches, especially when disappointment or frustration, like a quickie brush of makeup, blemishes on the person’s face. Chances are, half of the patrons would tell me that there is a specific date for her/him to have the book at hand, either because of a due book club reading or a school’s reading assignment.

     Upon hearing there is urgency I would try my best to locate the item and, at the same time, ask the person if s/he is willing to drive within 30 minutes’ road trip. If luck is with us, I would make phone calls to ask a shelf check and have the patron write down her/his last name on a small piece of paper. Once the search is complete, I would tell the person which branch to go to showing the map, writing the address and phone number in case s/he gets lost.

     If the person is not able to drive that same day, then I will search the branches with direct route to my branch to speed up the fill request procedure and hope the item would be delivered before the due date the patron gives me. Or, I would try the downloadable media catalog to see if there is an e-book available for the patron who owns an e-reader or a desktop or a laptop. If this is the situation I would ask if s/he lives in the city for one has to be a city resident to access e collections of ours. Then I would make sure this person knows her/his password. Then, after handing that person download instructions, I would use my computer to demonstration how to download the e-book from our catalog.

Follow up is not enough, a good librarian has to follow through making sure, at least trying her best, that the patron in front of the information desk would have something from this branch to take home even though there might not be a real book to check out and take home.

     Sometimes miracle did happen. More than once, as I emptied the chute the book I tried hard to locate and request for certain patron just been dropped over the night. And as I checked it in, the status showed it was available. Right away, I filled the request for the patron I served the day before. As I placed the request slip of paper inside the book, the excitement and satisfaction would feed me full the whole day and make me feel really good.

     To me, it won’t hurt to ask one extra question to the person in front of me. If I am not quite satisfied myself how this person could be happy as well. And I like challenges and problems; they empower me, educate and train me to be a better librarian. They are opportunities to find better solutions and better services. The best training a person can possibly gain is through serving, through the patrons who trust you and plant their hope upon you. That kind of joy and satisfaction through such encounters are similar to drinking a glass of water: only when you, yourself, have the water touch your lips and mouth you would have idea if the water is hot, lukewarm, or cold for you.

     Do it then you would understand!!!

Full Moon, Full House

  

     As I read the title, my heart is full of emotions: grateful, thankful, touched, impressed, warm, and happy. The auditorium seemed so packed and small because of your attendance and you, my precious library patrons. Your participation, involvement, and generous offerings made today’s party an unforgettable beautiful memory in my meager life.

     The Mid Autumn Festival is one of the three biggest festivals and holidays in Chinese community. It’s also a shopping spree for it’s time to shop for everyone: from your family, relatives to your employees, colleagues, friends, even to your neighbors. Everyone’s name would be on the shopping list. The streets will be decorated with a variety of pretty gift sets, boxes of sweet moon cakes, and tons of delicious goodies for shoppers to stuff their already full bags. It’s time to share, to give, to tell how much you care about your gift takers. This time of the year, you become a giver and the capability of giving empowers you allowing you to have a touch of happiness and sense of satisfaction.

     Millions of thanks to those Renner sponsors who selflessly and generously support the library by providing those tasty homemade goodies as well as those purchased from stores. Your material support, spending of time and energy, and the love to the library are sound and clear defined and identified today in the auditorium this afternoon.

     Thank you all!!!

The Mid Autumn Festival

9-22-2012

     

A Bad Day, or Is It Not

     I got a strange feeling this morning as my son said “Mom, have a nice day at work” on his way out to school. My oldest is one of the sweetest souls in my life. He never forgets when to give his mom a kiss, a hug, or some sweet saying. Yet, this morning, as he said the usual blessing to me, some heavy weight crawled onto my chest as I turned in my bed struggling to get up for work. And it proved that there was indeed something negative waiting for me this busy Tuesday morning.

     After a few of succinct words of excuse to my colleague, I rushed out the building with tears flooding in my eyes. Crashed in bed, I let go of the well of tears, all to myself. I blamed myself being such a big fool. Questions swimming in my head as tidal waves, ebbing and flowing, answers and solutions seem to play a tricky game with me.

     Time flew by no matter how hard a person tried to cope with it. Drying off tears from my face, I opened door, put on my badge, and strode in the library. Tasks would be my savior for my current status and they were. Then the boy got my attention.

     As I shelved books at the children’s area, a boy showed up at my left side standing there staring at me. I tried to ignore his presence for he was quiet and did nothing. Then I moved to another shelf at another area. He presented himself again, this time at my right side. Ha…I was followed. “May I help you?” I asked the boy without looking at him at first with a tune of amusement. Silence answered me. Slowly, I turned, bent, and looked at the young man. “Do you need anything?” “Dorito,” said the boy. With help of my right hand gesturing an eating movement, I asked him “chips to eat?” He nodded, still no word from him. “Is your mom with you today” Nod. “Go ask her to see if you can have some cookies, ok?” He disappeared then came back with another nod. “Follow me.”

     Stopped at the information desk, I indicated him to wait there and said “No guarantee it would be Dorito, ok?” Another head nod. There were cookies and animal crackers on the table in the break room. One cookie on a napkin and some animal crackers on another, I rushed back to my desk. Since it’s prohibited to have food in the library and I couldn’t let a little boy be out by himself, I got an idea to fix the situation: a stool at the desk. So I handed the snacks to the boy and had him sit on the stool by me. First he tried the cookie and had it on the floor. “Don’t like it?” Nod. “Try the animal crackers.” Gingerly and slowly he savored the crackers. Once in a while, I turned my back to see if he was fine while I was serving patrons. “Good boy!” He was quietly nibbling his crackers with his face faced toward my back. I then turned back to my customers and smiled “what a cute boy he is.”

     Sound of commotion from the back caught my attention. I looked back to the boy. Standing there looking at me with his hands holding the napkin, he seemed not sure what to do next. So I took away his napkin and wiped away the crumbs on his lips, corners of his mouth, and his face. He just stood there shyly and quietly being served by this librarian. “Now, you are decent and handsome again.” The boy left without a word.

     This is not the first time I was followed by children. Usually they followed me silently with a curious look on their faces. As I spoke they would be shy, run away or smile at me. This is the first time I interacted with a boy almost mutely. Though the only word from him was “Dorito,” I felt we had a very good communication this afternoon.

     Did I have a bad day? Well, maybe. But I got comfort from this taciturn boy.

No Title? No Author? No Problem!

Do you ever go through the following experience? You are looking for something and the name of the thing is dancing on your tongue refusing to come out. Well, it happens too often to be seriously considered a problem or a situation. This day I got a case from a lady who came to me with a shy smile.

     At first, she emphasized how much her son enjoyed reading the book and would like to check it out again. Further on, she thanked me for the introduction of the readers’ collection to her from the beginning as she came to our library. The problem is, looked at me with the same shy smile she didn’t recall either the title or the author. At hearing this, my back became straighter and I got excited. No title? No author? No problem! I assured her. What did you remember? From this question, one after another, back and forth, I conducted the reference interview and busied myself at browsing, searching, and typing. When all failed, I stood up and invited her to follow me to the readers’ place. The only thing I got from the conversation was what the cover would look like: there are two creatures, one giraffe and a turtle and they were in a car.

     Guess what’s my tactics to find this special book that this lady’s son enjoyed so much? The stupidest way I should say-to search each and every book on the shelves by focusing on and looking at the book covers. Luck was with us that day. When I pushed away the book and saw the book after that my heart skipped a beat. “You are the luckiest person of the day, ma’am.” She looked up at me as I slowly turned the book at hand having the cover face her. Right away, she said yes then used her right hand to cover her mouth mumbling “you found it.” The excitement was contagious. She fell back sitting on the floor and I did the same to recover from the joy and exhilaration both of us got from the discovery. What a mission!

     No title? No author? No problem! Challenges and problems are opportunities and regimens of my improvement factors being a librarian. Whenever there was a situation like this, the excitement would pump right in my veins and my brain would be working at full throttle. In addition, this is also a reward I could possibly earn from fixing a problem.

     No title? No author? No problem. Try me!!!

We Are Not Communicating

     Do you know how it feels when someone steps on your known Achilles’ heel? Being a first generation immigrant, the barrier of language stays with me even when I have earned two degrees over the years. The joy and honor of working in the public library are the primary forces backing me up and keeping me forward. But no matter how hard I have tried to overcome my barrier or to accept the fact that no one is perfect I would feel personally invaded when certain customers accused me of bad communication. Today I got a case making me feel sad.

     This person came to me asking me to request a specific title for her. She explained the situation: she has the book but the CD ROM is damaged. She would like to have another book with a good CD. After checking the catalog, I told her the bad news: there is only ONE copy in our whole system and she is the one who currently has it checked out. She insisted to request another one from our system. I tried hard to explain my discovery with help of my index finger to emphasize the number ONE and suggest looking up at the interlibrary loan possibility. She told me she totally couldn’t understand what I was telling her and said “We are not communicating.” She refused to listen to me. So, I stood up and told her I will get my manager to assist her.

     Be honest, I did feel bad as I walked to the back to fetch my boss. The negative force was so overwhelming my boss had to raise her voice to calm me down. Did I stop right then helping this lady? No. I went back to my desk and went on my search for the book with CD ROM. There was one in Plano Public Library and, too bad, it was checked out and would be due back on October 1. The Worldcat showed there are more than seven libraries statewide own the same title. As I looked at the screen, I hoped the lady would come back to the desk so I could show her what I found. Later I learned my boss called Plano Public Library. I would have done the same for her if she had given me the opportunity. If only she has given me the chance…

     Walking at my break at the library’s parking lot is my way of relaxing and doing some reflection. As I had my routine walk this afternoon, something I have learned from school came up floating and talking to me as I strode along the curb. Confucius taught us: be independent at the 30’s, be free of confusion at the 40’s, understand the destiny at the 50’s, hear no evil at the 60’s, worry free at the 70’s. Those sayings, to me, serve as reminders and insightful guidelines. If life is a series of lessons, then those statements are goals for us to meet and reach at different age periods. I felt bad for the lady. The year on the birthday was 1932.

     Life, to me, is a school. There are plenty of lessons awaited for us to learn, to excel, to enjoy. Each and every encounter is a lesson, an opportunity for one to become a better person. If we accept the fact that no one is perfect what should we do about ourselves? Do we stop living, growing or learning? No. Do you know what’s the good news being a person who is always number two? There is always a target for you to beat: the number one.

     Did you have an unpleasant encounter today with someone? If you did, thank that person. S/he gave you a lesson of forgiveness. Only when you are able to forgive a person of her wrongdoing would you come to understand humanity and the beauty of calmness inside one’s body, mind, and soul. You let go of the negative energy, you forget the episode, and you move forward.

September Read/2

Title: It’s Not About You: A Little Story About What Matters Most In Business

Author: Bob Burg and John David Mann

Subjects: Success in business

Page Number: 127

ISBN: 9781591844198

Summary: This nonfiction book about leadership and persuasion is written in a fiction style. The primary character, Ben, has been assigned to promote a merger to a struggling chair manufacturer with five hundreds employees. During the week, Ben met two ladies and had lunch meetings with them. Each chapter is titled with what happened during the day and each day is finalized with Ben’s own notes-Ben’s Keys to Legendary Leadership. There are five of such Ben’s Keys: Key #1 Hold the Vision, Key #2 Build Your People, Key #3 Do the Work, Key #4 Stand for Something, and Key #5 Share the Mantle. There are succinct phrases followed the title of the key. For example, under the Key: Do the Work, Ben wrote:

Lead from your gut

Know your pegs and shims

Stay hugely humble

Stay grounded

Get mud on your boots

And trust yourself

Those phrases came from the conversations Ben had with the two ladies at lunch meeting and the interactions with employees of the chair company as Ben visited and walked the buildings on different floors.

www.INAYbook.com

My Read: The following are the five keys listed at the end of the book: Ben’s Keys to Legendary Leadership:

Key #1 Hold the Vision

Lead with your mind.

Anyone can come up with a vision. The hard part is the holding.

Building a business-building anything-is an act of faith.

Keep seeing in your mind’s eye where it is you’re going, even when nobody else does. Especially when nobody else does. Never forget where you came from. And watch your personal pronouns.

My note: leaders usually hold bigger pictures. In their mind, they see farther and beyond.

Key #2 Build Your People

Lead from the heart.

Give people something good to live up to-something great-and they usually will.

The more you yield, the more power you have. The substance of influence is pull…not push. Tact is the language of strength. And don’t react-respond.

My note: to react, one follows the other party’s given direction thus loses one’s own vision. To respond, one uses her head and tact to steer the pending issue away from further problematic and create a common ground to neutralize the situation and build some possible rapport to ease the other person involved.

Key #3 Do the Work

Lead from your gut.

Know your pegs and shims. Stay hugely humble. Get mud on your boots. Stay grounded. And trust yourself.

My note: a good leader wouldn’t mind getting her hands dirty setting examples for the others to follow.

Key #4 Stand for Something

Lead with your soul.

What you have to give, you offer least of all through what you say; in greater part through what you do; but in greatest par through who you are. Competency matters. Character matters more. Character is what happens when life scratches itself on to your soul. You can lead only as far as you grow. And you will grow only as far as you let yourself.

My note: the best service comes from who you are.

Key #5 Share the Mantle

Let others lead.

It’s not about you…it’s about them. Don’t get it backward: don’t start thinking you’re the deal. The best way to increase your influence is to give it away. Sometimes it’s time to move to a bigger building.

My note: when a person is totally engaged at achieving some missions, there is no self to worry about. Selflessness is a phenomenon as a person is engrossed in something so profoundly that her soul, body, and mind blend in with the universe: she becomes the universe and the universe her.

      A person can’t make people do what they don’t like to do. Instead, she has a choice: she can decide how to live the day. A person can choose what role she wants to play at work: a prisoner, a passenger, a complainer, or a player. To me, the public library is a place I can define who I am, a playground I can walk, talk, work, and play. I am a player. 

     And, do you know who you are? 

Possible Read:

Take the Lead-Betsy Myers

Go-Giver- Bob Burg and John David Mann

            www.thegogiver.com

Darling, Don’t Go

     Did you ever have that kind of sensation that something was happening as the time being and you had no clue what it was until later as you had time to be with yourself and finally came to understand what’s what? This week, thanks to two patrons, I had such rare experiences on the same day. Twice, amazing, isn't it?

     I was scheduled at the circulation desk to back up the service for we were one representative short this week. A gentleman, one of our regulars, waved indicating he needed assistance. Right away, I knew he was in need of someone to help him get online to check his email. As the screen changed pages, I was ready to turn back to my desk. “Darling, don’t go” I looked down at him. But he already bent his back and tried to type something onto his desktop. He mumbled something that held me back and stood there listening and hearing what he said and requested. Focused on helping him, I totally forgot my duty at the desk. It’s this gentleman who gave me a precious lesson on listening-a communication skill that I am really short of. What he mumbled that evening brought empathy out of me and led me to really listen to and hear him. The sensation was strange yet so real that I had to ponder later that night upon what’s happened to me and the change I was feeling inside of me.

     One minute to the closing hour, I spotted this lady at the audio books area grabbing something off the shelves. I followed her to the self checkout machine to help her. As she was busy at the machine, I asked “Is this how you read books?” She replied as she was checking out the CDs. She works in Fort Worth. “And you live in here?” “Yes. I listen to the CDs on my way to work and back home.” “It’s a long trip.” “Yes, it is. And I checked out a real book after listening to its CDs. It’s really a good book that I enjoyed.” After the checkout process, we said our goodbyes. On my way home, I couldn’t help but think of this lady’s daily long trip. And I blamed myself for I should have given her our phone number and my name for her to call ahead to request CDs before she comes here next time. It would save her time and provide her a good opportunity to really find and check out items that really please her and meet her needs. Maybe next time, I made a mental note. This lady, like the gentleman, taught me a lesson of empathy.

     If we consider the life is a process of learning, growing, and self-discovering, working in the public library is like going to school to learn, to become a better person. Patrons come from different backgrounds and each of them has his/her own story. If I pay more attention, there are plenty of good teachers to give me lessons if I am able to listen to and hear them out. Of course, nothing would be perfect and things might not go as well as one expects or hopes for. But I told myself, don’t waste any opportunity or encounter. 

     Who knows what’s next and that’s the beauty of life-unknown!!!

"I asked the boy beneath the pines

 He said, 'The Master's gone alone

 Herb-gathering somewhere on the mount

 Cloud-hidden

 Whereabouts unknown"

-Chia Tao (771-841)

http://www.brooksjensenarts.com/wintertrees/wintertrees1/Winter%20Trees%201%20by%20Brooks%20Jensen.pdf