Hope

Lately there have been lots of new stories about gay children and young adults killing themselves after years of bullying due to their sexual orientation. I have lots to say about this issue, but it boils down to this:
1) This is not new. The media just decided to start talking about it.
2) I will never understand people who hate others because of who they love.
3) This whole situation is frustrating and I feel like there is nothing I can do.

You've probably seen this, but I figured the more exposure it gets, the better. Dan Savage, of Savage Love fame, started a Youtube channel called It Gets Better. It is supposed to show young LGBTQ people that life gets better after you grow up, get out of high school, and have the opportunity to move away from the people who hurt you.

Please check it out. Send it to people. Send it to teenagers you know, gay or straight. You never know who it will help.

It Gets Better.

The Memories of Items

Five years ago today, Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast, devastating the city of New Orleans and surrounding areas. We all watched on television as people crawled onto rooftops, paddled through sewage and flood water, and stood dying on highways. It was terrible. Six months later, I had the privilege to lead a group of DePaul students to New Orleans to help in the recovery effort. We worked with Catholic Charities to gut homes. It was hard physical labor, but the real toll the work took was on our hearts. Seeing homes pulled off their foundations, cars on rooftops, and homes on top of homes was shocking. No words can describe what the people in New Orleans endured, and no words can express my amazement at their resilience.


The third home we worked on was actually in the process of being rebuilt. After gutting two homes, it was good to see something positive, although mixed with uncertainty. Outside this home, we found a birds nest with two eggs in it. The homeowner said and our team agreed they were a lovely symbol of the fragile hope that pulsed through some of those in the city.



We met some amazing people, but I learned most from one of my own. The fourth home had not been touched since the storm. We had the monumental task of going through all of the items inside and decide what to save and what to destroy. Mold had eaten through most of the belongings. As we had all week, we worked with a team from Ohio State University. They were troopers. Together we sorted through the items, at one point throwing away a bundle of black ribbon. One of our DePaul teammates became quite upset. She explained to our group that in some African-American families, these ribbons are an important part of a mourning ritual dating back to slavery and are a vital tie to lost loved ones. She explained why we needed to save these items, why we couldn't throw them away despite water damage. Her words, her passion, and her sincere commitment to a woman and a family she had never met were touching. These items were a tie to more than just one person; they were a tie to an entire culture. I can never thank my teammate enough for the lesson she taught me that day.

As we remember the people of New Orleans and the disaster they continue to recover from, we should also remember that they are resilient, strong, and truly unique. With that, here's a photo of a group of New Orleans musicians doing their thing and bringing joy to all those who saw them:

What is a Public Library?

One of my coworkers sent this cute parody around today.



I have to say that I am a little confused about how other libraries are "checking out" iPads and Kindles. I know we have are considering it, but have also had some concerns about how many books could be on a Kindle...I heard one person say we would have a Kindle with one book on it. (No clue how we would determine that title.) Then if someone was looking for that book, they would have an option of getting it in a regular book, audiobook, large print, or Kindle. That doesn't seem all too practical, but I guess they've run into some legal issues with loading hundreds of titles onto a Kindle and then sharing it with the public. I'm hazy on details (obvi) but if I ever find out I'll let you know.

Does anyone else know how other libraries are handling the Kindle/iPad situation?

photo source

I'm a geek. Are you?

My internet still hasn't been hooked up, so I'm jacking some nets from an unsuspecting neighbor. This will have to be quick!

Basically, I love libraries. Obviously, I work in one. BUT. They are so much more than a workplace for me. They are also these amazing buildings full of ideas and creativity and fun new people, places, and things to learn about from books, movies, and music...

This awesome website, Geek the Library, is well worth checking out. I submitted my story...No clue if it will ever show up. If it does I'll report back!

Support your local library! Geek something!

And now for something completely different

Dad, me, Noah, June 2009

Late last night, I got a call from my father. He has been battling pancreatic cancer for 4 months. In the past four months, we've seen amazing kindness and compassion from our entire community. His phone call concerned a touching article detailing one of those many acts of kindness. Please click over to Marquette Hoops. Thank you to Jim Ganzer, Buzz Williams, and the entire Marquette team. You could not have bestowed your kindness and faith on a more grateful person or family. Ring out Ahoya!


For more information on pancreatic cancer, please visit the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network

Manifesto, Adopted

Surfing the nets (I'm not a technophobe! Don't forget this!) this morning, I ran across a new print from the Keep Calm Gallery. It sums up a lot of things that I have been feeling lately and believe will make all of our lives a bit brighter.

So consider this an adoption of the Aardvark manifesto for my own purposes. I was in an all kazoo band in the Wauwatosa Fourth of July parade one year.

Photo source: Keep Calm Gallery