Today's morning presentation
both surprised and touched me in the fact that I did not expect to cry during
class. The week is supposed to be
intensive but not supposed to bring tears, right? So what happened?
Dr. Kathy Self came to speak
to us about leadership. Dr. Self was
soft and inviting so we tended to hang on to every word she said. She even managed to keep our attention while
raindrops were dropping through the ceiling.
One of the exercises Dr. Self
had us try was to close our eyes and clear our minds to meditate. After we had freed our minds we were to think
of a very happy and memorable event from our library. Immediately my mind focused on a scared
little autistic girl who was five years old.
Several months after becoming
library director I threw an open house/fall fun day at the library. Many different activities were planned like
stories, games, crafts, a live band, food, and fun in general. Lots of folks showed up including a state
senator. So things were pretty loud and
crazy.
Little Riley shows up with
her parents and is immediately scared to death and overwhelmed with all the
noise and people. She begins to
cry. Her parents almost decide to leave
but choose to stay for a moment or two.
By this time crafting supplies were spread out over 3 or 4 tables and
people were just helping themselves. I
was busy showing the Senator around and various other important people and lost
track of time. With all the craziness, I
just didn't have time to notice everything.
As the afternoon was winding down I happened to make eye contact with
little Riley as she was sitting at a craft table by herself just crafting
away. Our eyes met and she smiled the
biggest most beautiful smile at me. I
began to tear up. Her mother later told
me that Riley had been so scared and upset that she begged to go home but then
sat down at the craft table and had remained there for nearly 2 hours without
moving. Her mother stated that she never
does that and it meant so much to them that we had provided that outlet for
little Riley to have some fun. By this
time both her mother and myself were overcome with tears.
That evening I kept pondering
the fact that as I had been planning the event I had become so tired and
stressed that I had questioned why I was even holding such an event. That little girl's smile.....well.....it made
it worth every second of work and stress.
So today as I pondered why I
love my job even though I am overworked and underpaid I became inspired by
little Riley all over again and those tears that rolled down my cheeks during
that exercise today just served to remind of that.
Pam's Point: It's good to take some time to just close
your eyes and relax and remember why you do what you do. Most times you will get more out of it that
you give.
Today's point was very well stated, Pam! My story to share in our exercise was from a very long time ago and one that I had not actively thought about in a while. But, whether I always realize it or not it has greatly influenced what I do and why I do it. Great exercise today and one I hope to remember to revisit on a regular basis!
ReplyDeletePamela, your story was amazing. I started reading it to myself in our conference room, however I stopped. I had to read it out loud to a couple of our classmates. It was very hard to finish the entire thing because I was trying not to cry. Children have always held a spot in my heart. Way to go Pamela. You Rock!!
ReplyDeletePam, as a facilitator, I always felt the participants had a more memorable session if they felt deep emotion about the experience. Shedding a few tears means you were deeply touched in a way you will not easily forget. I shed a few tears today, too. Your story touched me.
ReplyDeleteOh! thank you for sharing such a lovely story Pam. And your "Pam's Point" is well stated.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right on target, Pam. Thank you for sharing that story. What a great event and look at the lives you touched. We do make a difference, and yes, that's what it's all about.
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