Fellowship, stories and self

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Rotary International District 7810 came together last weekend in Saint John NB. Fellowship, stories and self; these were just some of the many aspects of Rotary's conference.

Discussing the future you want for yourself, your loved ones and the world created an environment charged with hope, action and planning. As I watched and listened it became evident that the group was moving in one direction but in diverse ways. Every group is unique, every projects reflects commitment, involvement and a sense of responsibility from everyone of us.

Around our table were people from many walks of life. As a librarian I appreciated the way in which those gathered made room for the new comers. Some of those honored at this event have given a great deal of their time, energy and inner strength. One recipient stated she did it for herself, since those who benefited were her family, her community and her club.

Stories were the rallying cry. We heard from those who have served in many communities in many countries in Africa. Members told us how they started in Rotary and when they discovered they were Rotarians. Avalanche moments for me. A recognition of the power we have when we stand together.

Reading the website I was moved by the fact that Rotary contributed in part to the Charter of the United Nations. "In 1945, 49 Rotary club members served in 29 delegations to the UN Charter Conference. Rotary still actively participates in UN conferences by sending observers to major meetings and covering the United Nations in its publications."

Service above self is Rotary's moto and encapsulates the vital need for development. And most important that each of us can make a difference.

Be the teller,

Yesterday's titles are today's treasures

"It's spring sir" said Klinger to Colonel Blake. Not a reference most born after 1960 would have heard in the original but thanks to reruns many of us may be familiar with MASH.
So what does this have to do with our topic, much.

Cleaning out the basement we found books and other resources that have been collecting dust for many years. To us these titles have served us well. We either read them once, used them in our research or just scanned them for their content. Either way they are no longer required. What to do? We turned to community.

Look around, check out your local version of Friends of the Library, orsee if the local second hand book store can add these to their inventory. In this way the books gain value, create a resource as well as revenue for the local economy. Used Books Etc in Campbellton offers just this service. Everyone wins. The Public Library adds titles to its booksale, and the local usedbooks store make available titles all year round.

Think globally act locally,

Be the teller,

Everything old is new again!

I just returned from attending the Atlantic Provinces Libraries Association's conference in Saint John and I did feel like I was visiting home. Having been in this historical city only 11 months a few years back it seeped into my skin, into my very consciousness.

It could be said to be the moisture, the rain, the dampness but the place became one with me. Could it be the way people hold the doors in public places for each other, or maybe the way folks smile and say hello to total strangers. Not sure of the origin of this common behavior, but I am certain of the food.

The Saint John Market helps walk into the past feeling decades of stress, tension, feelings of isolation leave you as you go from kiosk to kiosk. Whether you are looking for fruit, nuts, meats or cheese this wonderfully well stocked venue provides the purchaser will find a fine variety and great quality.

People given the opportunity will share stories about their activities, their hopes, their dreams and plans on how to achieve their goals. Listen and you may be enlightened, entertained and overwhelmed at the diversity that is storytelling.

Photos by Bob Ewing.

Be the teller,

Stories, Sharing and Storing

Stories, sharing and storing. Life is just that. Moments where we are larger than ourselves. It might be time to bring to the table the expertise that you have accumulated over a lifetime. Your experiences have value, they hold a wealth of knowledge. You have been storing these over a lifetime. That could be 20, 40, 65 years or more but you are the holder of the knowledge.


Sharing ones understanding of a particular subject enriches you, your community and moves the bar in the field in which your topics lives.



Bring it to the table, write a paper, an article, do a presentation, get the information out there. It will help.

Be the teller,

The best is yet to come!

Thirty years, and who knew you could share a life with someone and not notice that three scores have marked the passage. We feel the same, we share the same way but lately it has been different. Something has changed.

Anniversaries have been a marginalized event with us. It happened every year so we did not put much stock into it. But here we are today and we are asking where the time has gone.

Whether we feel deeper about things or maybe its just the fact that we cannot be impressed by the comings and goings of fads.

News events pull together the backdrop of our lives. Good, bad or indifferent what impacts on the environment impacts on us. We listen, we watch, we contribute and we keep informed.

What do we say about a life, the best is yet to come!

Be the teller,

Take charge!

Think back, way back when you believed we had a true path, a straight route,
a yellow brick road if you will.

(Courtesy - flickr - temario9)

Knowing where your next step will take you is comforting, soothing even mesmerizing. Always being in control, always feeling you know just what to say, where to stand and what to believe. There's that word again.

Believing comes in many colours, sizes, flavours and preferences. We trust in what we see. It may be time to trust in what we believe. Take charge of your own rudder.

Point the way you wish to go and go there. Imagine the stories, the images even the tales you might hear, share and commit to memory for the next generation.

Be the teller,

Discovery within

Never underestimate what can be done. Whether we plan every minute of our day, whether we have lists upon lists to guide us through our daily lives there is always the unexpected.

Today it was seeing the daffodils planted by my partner. He had selected these last year and we had been watching for them the past several weeks.

But today they stood up and reminded me how important it was to say how much I enjoyed these flowers.

Over the last few years I have forged a renewed interest in the Tudor Period. The people, their lives, the social, cultural and economic forces that came together at this time fascinate me. May 1st is our 30th anniversary and those unspoken words can have great meaning. My partner found a book to complement my reading on the topic and add to my collection.

Let people know what you like, it's surprising what can happen,

Be the teller,

Leonardo and Big Think

Manuscript B, folio 83 v.
Aerial screw (1483 and 1486) (http://www.museoscienza.org/english/Leonardo/vite.asp)


There are times when we are nowhere. (Sam to Leo in West Wing)

We spin our wheels looking for a way towards or away from something, from someone, from someplace. And yet we remain in place. There are other times when links, connections and Ureka moments leave us feeling that there is order in the world. One of Leonardo DaVinci’s best known invention tells us that time is not linear. It is unlikely that the machine could have lifted of the ground but the idea remained all due to this small drawing. But be assured, from that point on it existed.

The Aerial Screw by many is accepted as being the ancestor of the helicopter. “The only drawing accompanying Leonardo's note is the sketch of an aerial screw with a diameter of 5 meters, made of reed, linen cloth and wire, operated presumably by four men who might have stood on the central platform and exerted pressure on the bars in front of them with their hands, so as to make the shaft turn”.

What we leave behind is as important as what we do today. Sharing those big dreams, small ideas and generally keeping people in the know may lead to great discovery, stronger communications, even enlightenment. Maybe not, but we can and do affect the way in which people see the world around them by our own interactions with them,

Be the teller,

Hometown stories

This is the first in a series that looks at where I live. Being a member of a community means that
you are part of the story that is that community.



One of my favourite places in Campbellton, NB is a very well kept secret, a reader's joy, a collector's dream, Used Books Etc, 88 Roseberry St, owned and operated by Micheline.
You can talk books and benefit from decades of experience in the business.

Here you can find collectors' graphic novels, rare, even out of print titles. Right now you can buy a copy of Beethoven's Bicentennial Edition collection including a beautifully illustrated book with the 4 box set vinyl (5 lps in each box) in mint to near mint condition for $60.00

Another treasure is the 50th Anniversary book of THE HOBBIT, by Tolkien with coloured plates.

You can find thousands of books to browse through, from the classics: Dumas,Fielding, Shakespeare etc... to the bestsellers, Stephen King, Tom Clancy, James Patterson etc... And just in case you still haven't found something you might like there are cd's, dvd's, games (Playstation, XBox) and tons of vhs at very low prices.

Be the teller,

Its been a little over a year

I am back!

Suffering an injury in March 2009 many things I love to do fell to the wayside.
As of April 1st I will be back on my weekly schedule, sharing stories, books, tellings on topics that touch my community and how we are connected with it.

Be the teller,