May Read/Don't Kiss Them Good-Bye

Title: Don’t Kiss Them Good-Bye

Author: DuBois, Allison

Subjects: DuBois, Allison; Medium-United States-Biography

Call Number: B D815D 2005

ISBN: 9780743281904

Number of Pages: 196 Pages

Book Description:

            While interning in the homicide bureau of the district attorney’s office, Allison DuBois found that she could do something remarkable. As she laid out crime scene photos and gathered information, she realized that she could see the crime through the eyes of the perpetrator and the victim This experience prompted Allison to examine the full extent of her abilities. Instead of trying to suppress her gifts, she decided to fully own them. In this fascinating book Allison chronicles her visions through the thin veil between life and death (back cover).

My Read:

            It starts from the TV series Medium. Close to the end of the first season, I notice that this series use Allison DuBois as the consultant. It’s the exact same name used by the series’ main character. Curiosity led me to this book and other books the library owns.

            Can’t say I am a believer or a skeptic, but life afterlife is an intriguing topic and I want to learn more about this. Allison uses her own growing experiences to inspire those teen and young medium. According to Allison, sensitivity of the sixth sense is a gift, just like any other gift a person owns. In addition, since it’s a gift, the level and intensity of a gift vary and not everyone would like to exercise or practice their gift or use it as a profession. It’s unfair to request every reading of a medium to be 100% accurate for, just like other gift or skill, there are elements in the way that would cause an error or misunderstanding. In this book, Allison illustrated many true cases to make her points clear and allow readers to have a step closer to understand what a medium is capable of and what kind of life a medium lives.

            Allison describes herself as an interpreter and a messenger between the living ones and those deceased alive on the other side. A person’s physical body might die and decompose but one’s energy lives forever. The body might not be there but the caring soul is still there to be close to their living loved ones. Children are usually innocent and this allows them to easily make connection to the souls on the other side. Grief and skeptics are the usual walls blocking the communication path. It’s usually small things or little details that are significant signs showing the crossing is possible and made.

            Number 11 might not mean anything to you. But it’s someone’s number on her jersey and the mention of the number means greatly to this person who tries to make connection to her deceased loved one. Allison is able to convey the messages to the sitter (person who wants to make connection to the dead) assuring them that their passed loved ones are still there caring for them.

            Reading such books allows a person to ponder about life and the purpose and meaning of life. The following is what I found helpful to readers to understand themselves better and make their life meaning. “I wrote this chapter for people who feel empty inside, who are searching for a purpose or just want to feel good. It never hurts to take inventory of your soul. Are you fulfilled? Have you accomplished everything in life that you said you would? What do you stand for? Have you made a difference in someone’s life? Look in the mirror and get to know who you grew up to be. Being a fulfilled person means that at the end of your physical life you have no real regrets.”(p129).

            I enjoy the TV series Medium. The one part I like the most is the relationships between a husband and a wife and the parents with their children.

Mary

       

   This is Mary. We ran into each other at the library in this past winder. It’s a bright day yet the temperature was not as shiny as the day. Mary had on a bright red sweater with top the same color covered by the sweater. She looked so elegant and ladylike that I couldn’t help but kept on talking to her. As usual, I walked her to the entrance. As I learned that her husband and their car were not at the parking lot as she tried to walk out the building I stopped her. The two of us stood by the double door talking and watching the people in and out the library and kept our eyes on lookout for her husband. Eyes back and forth I tried hard to keep her company and man my desk at the same time. The wait turned out to be one of the best experience I have had being a librarian.

           From day one Mary didn’t show any difficulty understanding me. It’s a kind gesture I need at my profession. When you have people claiming they totally couldn’t understand a word you say Mary’s consideration and understanding are a gift I truly appreciate and hope more would come to my way.

            Acceptance is the most crucial element in any relationship including dealing with the self. Only after you accept who you are you have the door open to opportunity, potential, and success for your future. Mary’s kindness helps me realize the importance of acceptance and understanding.

            Mary’s presence reminds me of my own mother and how essential an education system is to a person. There is a twenty years difference between my mother and Mary. Mary reads my mother doesn’t. Never in my life did I see my mother read a book or any magazine. My mother holds no degree at all though she is the brightest and wisest person in the household. I imagine how much happier my mother would have become if she had been given the opportunity to go to school at proper age.

            Mary is not only a patron; she is a dear friend and a positive influence in my life, at work as well as in personal life.

Outreach Programs at a Local Sunday School

            “We should have you come to our school more often to do such outreach program.” This was the comment I got from not only the school’s principal but also from the school’s CEO who happened to visit the school on the same day of my visit. I felt thankful and ascertained that this is the right thing the public library should do for the communities.

            Outreach, to me, is a way positively and actively to make contact with the public, to make the library approachable and visible to not only the existent users but also to the non users who I consider to become the potential future public library users. The crowd excites me. Guess what would thrill me more? Questions come from the curious, from the hungry who want to learn about the public library and what we, the public servants can do to enrich their life. Personally curiosity and thirst for enrichment are paths for a happier and successful meaningful life a person is possible to live and run for.

            Graciously and considerately, at my second visit, the school invited me to join their semester end teacher appreciation dinner at the school. Teachers are assets of the school. I am thankful that the school made such effort to show their gratitude to the hard working teachers.

May 5, 2013

May 19, 2013

Ruby's Read/May

Who Is Neil Armstrong

Neil Armstrong was born on August 5,1930, in Ohio, and had two younger siblings, June and Dean. Neil's father worked for the Ohio State government, because of his job, the family had to move many times - in fact, they moved sixteen times before Neil was thirteen!

When Neil was a little boy, he was fascinated by airplane and flying. When he was five, he experienced his first airplane flight, also known as the "Tin Goose", Neil's father confessed that he had been "scared to death". As for Neil, he had enjoyed every minute. Neil read airplane magazines; he drew detailed sketches of his favorite planes. :earning about planes, however, wasn't the same as learning to fly planes. And that's what Neil wanted to do most of all.

As a teenager Neil took part-time job to pay for flying lessons, ha had earned his pilot's license when he was fifteen. He wanted to study aeronautic engineering, he was able to attend Purdue University on a Navy scholarship, in return for the scholarship money, Neil had to serve in the U.S. Navy. This arrangement was fine with Neil. In the Navy, he could fly planes! After two years at Purdue came three years in the Navy, and then The Korean War had broken out, the war sent Neil halfway across the globe. During The Korean War, Neil flew on seventy-eight missions. It was a dangerous and stressful job, but Neil never lost his cool.

When he returned to Purdue, he was twenty-two and older than most students, during his last two years at Purdue, his grades improved greatly. He also fell in love with an outgoing girl-Janet, they were married in several months after Neil's graduation. Neil wanted to work in California, so they moved there, this meant Janet had to leave Purdue without finishing her degree.

In 1957, Neil's first son was born, and two tears later, they and a little girl, Neil was especially close to his little daughter. Unfortunately, his daughter had cancer and died in January of 1962. A few months after his daughter died, Neil made a big decision, the decision changed the rest of his life. He applied to become an astronaut.

In 1962, NASA decided to bring more astronauts into the space program, especially wanted test pilots and men with engineering backgrounds, Neil Armstrong met all the qualifications. On September 17,1962, nine men were chosen, Neil was one of them. The Armstrongs moved to El Lago, Texas, near the NASA space center in Houston, all their neighbors were in the space program, too. There were lots of backyard barbecues with the other astronaut families. After recent death of Neil's daughter, it was a much happier time for the Armstrongs.

Sometimes, the training exercises seemed to have nothing to do with space flight. For example Neil was sent to a jungle or a desert, why? The reason was simple, astronauts had to be able to survive until rescued. Finally, in July 16,1969, Armstrong's second and last spaceflight was as mission commander of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Neil and Buzz descended to the lunar surface and spent two and a half hours exploring. Because Neil was commander of the mission, NASA awarded him the honor of stepping onto the moon first, When Neil climbed down the ladder, he gave his words to all over the world. The message was " That's one small step for a man, on giant leap for mankind."

After that, NASA didn't have plans to send more people to the moon since 1972. The first trip to the moon remains an important event, a great human achievement.

Neil Armstrong died on August 25, 2012, at the age of 82.

Happy Mother's Day

"Mother" is the primary topic at today's Tea Time. Ruby is the first one to share with us who her mother is. After each and every member talked about their own mother one couldn't help but find plenty of commonalites in motherhood no matter which region she came from. Our mothers are lifelong housewives who have dedicated their time, energy and the self to their family. Compromise and sacrifice are the norm according to each one's sharing. Mothers might be quiet and silent their presence and the love they gave are basically the foundation of who we have become. Their impact and influence are so big that sometimes we overlooked and took for granted.
What will you do to celebrate this year's Mother's Day? I know what my mother wants and likes the most: to hear from me and listen to my description of her grandsons. And that's what I did last night: I called my mother and let her two grandsons say "hi" to her. Her timid and small laughter could be heard from the speaker phone. It's a moment that really touches my heart. It's a small gesture with huge impact.
Each and every member of the WOW Reading Club is a mother. Not only did we share joy of reading the group enjoys talking about life and the contents of life itself. We are writing our own story, each and every one of us. There is no start and no end is at sight for life never dies; it lasts as time goes and flies.
Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers, here and everywhere!