Sharing things I love.

Today was my official first day of classes for library school.  I suppose it would be more accurate to say my first day of class since I had only one class.  This class is titled "Human Information Interactions," which quite frankly, sounds boring.  Contrary to how it sounds, I think it will be quite interesting.  We are going to discuss how we, as individuals and groups, disseminate, collect, and interpret information.  I don't know about you, but we are thrown a lot of information these days -- tv, radio, internet, etc.  Sometimes facebook alone gives me enough information to occupy my day (and not in a good way). 

Well, this got me thinking.  What is my favorite way to collect information?  Honestly, I am newly obsessed with pinterest.  Pinterest allows users to "curate" their own digital boards with some of their favorite things, most often creative and beautiful things.  People much cooler than myself found this site first and shared it with me.  I have been hooked for a couple of months now.  Now not only do I use pinterest to find new and interesting things about decorating, travel, and books but I also take serious care to create boards that I think reflect me.  It has helped me create an online identity that is more personalized. It let's the online world see that I am more than a profile picture and a 140 character status update.  Because of pinterest, I seek out new information in order to add it to my boards and further represent my style to the great world wide web. In turn, I get to see all the really cool things other "curators" are discovering.  It's an online community built on creativity and personal style.  If you haven't joined yet, I highly recommend you do

Out with the handwritten notes, in with the emails...

They say out with the old and in with new.  Well, the new, I learned in my first day of library school is email, facebook posts, and tweets.  Out are hand written notes. 

The other day, I had a patron at the bookstore I work for ask for a book on cursive writing.  She was purchasing this book for her 6th grader who had never been taught proper handwriting skills in the public schools.  When the girl looked at the book, her response was, "but I know how to type."  This hurt my heart.  I wanted to look at her and say, "yes, but an email can never replace what it feels like to get a letter in the mail from a good friend on a bad day. A facebook message does not replace a birthday card with a long handwritten note from a loved one.  These things are irreplaceable."  But maybe you can't miss something you never had.

I know I get a bit giddy when I see a fun colored envelope sitting in the mailbox with my name printed neatly on the front.  The cards are always fun, and the accompanying message is heart warming.  It reminds me that I know awesome people who still care enough to write a letter and buy a stamp. That is reason enough for me to keep my stationary stockpiled.

First Post Of Many More to Come...

Greetings, 

Tomorrow starts a whole new adventure for me.  One I have been working my way toward for years, even if I did not know it.  I will start to learn new things, meet new people, and shape my world into something I hope feels more complete.  Each day I will learn new things ... about the world, about others, and about myself.  Overall my goal is to live a more purposeful, well-rounded life and to live it with a sense of humor.  I invite you on this journey with me through this blog. 

"A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It's jolted by every pebble on the road."
        - Henry Ward Beecher 

It's important to know where I have been and a little bit about where I am going.  For the past four years, I have been floating through my life.  I never felt quite happy and never could figure out why. When you run in circles as much as I felt like I was, you need to do something to catapult yourself out of the roundabout.  So I quit my job in Nashville, TN and went to Europe for two months.  I did little more than spend money and look at beautiful things but my time there gave me time to breathe deep again.

When I returned, I lived with my parents in Wilmington, NC.  For some, going home after living out of the house for the past 8 years would be defeating, but I found it let me reconnect with the things that were most important to me.  Plus, I was near the beach and I never knew the awesomeness of the ocean until I lived near it.  I felt like I was healing from some ailment I never knew I had.  

Now, I am living in Carrboro, NC.  I start grad school tomorrow.  I have mixed emotions of shock, complete joy, and some nervousness.  I am living in a great place, and so far I am surrounded by great people.  I can walk to the coffee shop, drive to the mountains or beach, and just walk down the hall to find a friend.  I know there will be ups and downs, but I hope a little sense of humor and an understanding that I am in charge of my own life will keep me trucking along.  

I promise this blog won't be all seriousness.  I just want to share what's going on in my planet and the new things I learn each day.


Take care,
Ashley