I love being a librarian. This has been the PERFECT summer job for me! I am so excited to go to work every day. I love wearing long, flow-y skirts and a name tag (and people actually look at it and call me by my name!). It's a small-town library with lots of regulars who are always super friendly and cheerful.
There are also volunteers that come in to help us shelve books and my favorite volunteer is this elderly man named Robert. He's probably in his seventies and a foot shorter than me, but he always has a smile on his face and he calls me "dear". At the beginning of each week, he brings in roses from his garden so that we can have them on our desks. He doesn't know what their official name is, so he calls them his "Oh My" roses, because when you smell them, you just want to say, "Oh My!". It always makes me so happy to see him when he walks in.
And quite simply, I just love being surrounded by books. I hadn't truly realized how much I read as a child until I spent time in the children's and young adult sections and recognized titles upon titles that I had read myself! I used to go to the library often with my parents and it was fun to reminisce about those times in my life that have long since gone. There is something about books that calms me down. I was having a rough morning the other day, and then I went to work for my afternoon shift. After being there for four hours, I felt much better. I think that it has something to do with the timelessness of literature. Good stories transcend time, conflict, bitterness, and strife. Moreover, this is probably one of the biggest reasons why I fell in love with Classics when I arrived at Berkeley last year. Epics such as the Iliad and the Odyssey have been around for thousands of years, and have survived countless wars and misery, yet, for those who care to read them, they still offer inspiration and hope. Those sorts of stories are what connect us to those certain threads of humanity that are weaved throughout time and culture. Simply being in a close proximity to those sorts of stories makes my own worries and problems seem vastly short-lived in comparison.
Speaking of Classics, I intend to do a post on what that major entails sometime in the near future. That has definitely been the question that I've been asked the most since I've been home - "So what exactly do you study in Classics?". Hopefully I'll be able to put a lot of questions to rest!
Finally, I look forward to utilizing Berkeley's libraries a lot more in the years to come. I didn't venture there very often last year, but now that this library at home is becoming a sort of safe haven for me, I look forward to spending more time in the libraries at school. Next year is certainly going to be an adventure :).
Sincerely,
Olivia
Friday, July 18, 2014
Friday, July 11, 2014
A Different Sort of Independence
Last Friday, on the 4th of July, I watched the fireworks by myself. Now, I don't say that in a self-pitying way - in fact, I mean the opposite! Of course, it would have been nice to have some company, but I learned something very important about myself in the process.
I was house-sitting that weekend and hadn't been able to make plans with any of my friends to go see the fireworks, so around 10 pm, I pulled into a parking lot, hopped into the bed of my truck and settled in to watch the show. I even looked up Ray Charles' version of "America the Beautiful" and listened to it (The Sandlot, anyone?). And the fireworks were magnificent.
One of my greatest realizations of this past year is that I love having alone time, and am, in fact, an introvert. I wish so greatly that I had known this earlier in life. Growing up as an only-child, I came to detest being alone and always wished that I had siblings like all my friends. Everyone would tell me that siblings aren't that great and that you just fight all the time. However, even though I avoided sibling squabbles, I also missed out on all of the good things. It has taken me a long time to come to terms with that and be okay with simply hanging out with me, myself, and I.
But last Friday was especially important, because that was the first time I had celebrated such an important holiday by myself. And you know what, I was weirdly alright with it. It was encouraging because I know that no matter what happens in the future, I am independent enough to be content with myself and who I am becoming. As much as I want to get married like other girls my age, I realize that I don't need to have someone in my life to make holidays or special occasions feel "special" - and this is significant considering all of the years of grad school I have ahead of me! I would like to be "Dr. Graves" out-right before I get married :). And most importantly, I know that I always have God by my side, supporting me and loving me, even when I'm not being a responsible follower of Christ and don't make time for Him like I should. For that is what truly matters in the end.
So it turns out that I celebrated personal independence a little bit more than our national independence on the 4th, but I don't think that makes me un-patriotic necessarily :). My birthday is coming up in the beginning of August and that's a day that I usually end up spending by myself as well, but hopefully this year, I'll be content with whatever comes along. After all, holidays and birthdays are supposed to be "special", but they only take up a couple days out of the year, and I would much rather live with the mindset that every day is "special" and there is always something "special" to find in every day. God Bless, and I hope that you had a lovely Independence Day :).
Sincerely,
Olivia
PS. I got my first paycheck from the library yesterday! Hooray for more personal independence! I will probably be posting some humorous anecdotes about my job soon, so keep your eyes peeled :)
I was house-sitting that weekend and hadn't been able to make plans with any of my friends to go see the fireworks, so around 10 pm, I pulled into a parking lot, hopped into the bed of my truck and settled in to watch the show. I even looked up Ray Charles' version of "America the Beautiful" and listened to it (The Sandlot, anyone?). And the fireworks were magnificent.
One of my greatest realizations of this past year is that I love having alone time, and am, in fact, an introvert. I wish so greatly that I had known this earlier in life. Growing up as an only-child, I came to detest being alone and always wished that I had siblings like all my friends. Everyone would tell me that siblings aren't that great and that you just fight all the time. However, even though I avoided sibling squabbles, I also missed out on all of the good things. It has taken me a long time to come to terms with that and be okay with simply hanging out with me, myself, and I.
But last Friday was especially important, because that was the first time I had celebrated such an important holiday by myself. And you know what, I was weirdly alright with it. It was encouraging because I know that no matter what happens in the future, I am independent enough to be content with myself and who I am becoming. As much as I want to get married like other girls my age, I realize that I don't need to have someone in my life to make holidays or special occasions feel "special" - and this is significant considering all of the years of grad school I have ahead of me! I would like to be "Dr. Graves" out-right before I get married :). And most importantly, I know that I always have God by my side, supporting me and loving me, even when I'm not being a responsible follower of Christ and don't make time for Him like I should. For that is what truly matters in the end.
So it turns out that I celebrated personal independence a little bit more than our national independence on the 4th, but I don't think that makes me un-patriotic necessarily :). My birthday is coming up in the beginning of August and that's a day that I usually end up spending by myself as well, but hopefully this year, I'll be content with whatever comes along. After all, holidays and birthdays are supposed to be "special", but they only take up a couple days out of the year, and I would much rather live with the mindset that every day is "special" and there is always something "special" to find in every day. God Bless, and I hope that you had a lovely Independence Day :).
Sincerely,
Olivia
PS. I got my first paycheck from the library yesterday! Hooray for more personal independence! I will probably be posting some humorous anecdotes about my job soon, so keep your eyes peeled :)
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Lists, Goals, & Progress
The other day I felt the need to get out of my house for a little bit, so I headed over to Barnes and Noble. Even though I can't justify paying their prices for books anymore after frequenting used-book stores and working in a library, it's still a nice, relaxing place to go and think. I didn't really know what I wanted to do when I got there, but I brought my journal, some scratch paper, my current reading material (Insurgent), and my Latin textbook, to cover all the bases. When I sat down at one of the tables in the café though, I had an idea and took out a few pieces of paper. I then proceeded to write down my goals for next semester.
I love knowing that I'm a visual learner, and just a visually-oriented person in general. Once you know how you best learn, so many other things become much easier. I discovered a little while ago that I function most efficiently when I have things written down. That way, if I ever forget my goals or objectives for the day, I can just visualize the list and read it from memory. I don't know if that works for other people, but it's been a life-saver for me! But anyways, I started writing everything that came to mind as I thought about this past year and what I want to improve on in the future. Some things are small and some things are more universal, but they are all very doable to some degree. I'm sure that it will get added to in the future, but here it is as it stands today:
I love knowing that I'm a visual learner, and just a visually-oriented person in general. Once you know how you best learn, so many other things become much easier. I discovered a little while ago that I function most efficiently when I have things written down. That way, if I ever forget my goals or objectives for the day, I can just visualize the list and read it from memory. I don't know if that works for other people, but it's been a life-saver for me! But anyways, I started writing everything that came to mind as I thought about this past year and what I want to improve on in the future. Some things are small and some things are more universal, but they are all very doable to some degree. I'm sure that it will get added to in the future, but here it is as it stands today:
1. Eat a salad every week-day
2. Continue to drink plenty of water
3. Accept that I'm a slow reader - allot more time than I believe is necessary
4. Make fires in the fireplace
5. Take advantage of the libraries for studying
6. Create small goals instead of being daunted by large ones
7. Begin essays on the day I get the prompts
8. Remember why I love school when I feel discouraged
9. Fold Laundry / Put it away as soon as it's done
10. Find little ways to serve around the house
11. Write everything down / Make lists
12. Read at least one verse or devotional each day
13. Spend a few minutes picking up my belongings every night
14. Be productive even while resting / Decrease idle time
15. Go to San Francisco for the day to study
16. Take time to journal / Record special memories
17. Think of something that I'm thankful for every day
18. Keep priorities straight
19. Become a master of organization
20. Have patience with myself even when I'm frustrated
21. Do my best to keep things simple
22. Allow myself to have an adventure every now & then
23. Constantly look for ways to encourage those around me
24. Dress nicely every day - it'll be a confidence booster
25. Hike on the fire-trails
26. Do yoga out on the patio
27. Take lots and lots of pictures
28. Research new scholarship opportunities
29. Start learning about / studying for the GRE
30. Cherish the time that I get to spend with my friends
31. More confidence / Less pride
32. Always give the honor back to God
33. Strive to go the extra mile in everything that I do
34. Keep clutter to a minimum
35. Listen to inspiring music
36. Exercise at least 3 days a week; Stretch daily
37. Eagerly utilize weekends for reading / studying
38. If I become disinterested in an assignment, move on quickly and come back to it later
39. Increase vocabulary
40. Have better posture
41. Resist the urge to battle with my alarm in the morning
42. Write letters to people
43. Embrace frugality - Save money for Future Adventures
44. Persevere even when things get tough
45. Clean off desk every night
46. Continue to discover how my brain works best
47. Love passionately and unconditionally
48. Don't sleep in too late - Start the day early!
49. Establish good routines and stick to them
Now that July is upon us, I'm officially half-way done with my summer vacation. Even though I have loved being home and I've accomplished so much in a few short weeks, I'm also eager to return to Berkeley. So many adventures await me there! I know that I won't be able to meet all of these goals, but most of them only require a few minutes of my time each day. Time has become my most valuable and cherished resource as of late, but if I can rally enough self control, I think that each of these little things can have the power to make a huge difference. I shall just have to wait and see.
Sincerely,
Olivia
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