Memories and Remembrance

Today is holocaust memorial day, and this came through my feed, the poem is one I am not very familiar with, but the reading is very raw. Olivia Colman reads Auschwitz, quiet and very moving. The use of history as a tool is a common thing, and the history is written by the victors is getting forgotten, the acceptance of anything because it was historical annoys me, they were wrong at times then so why should we accept the whole thing now as true, but on this I must confess to knowing people, who lost folk, who went there, folk who are not big names, are not lauded as shakers and movers, and not trying to make a point or grind an axe. Folk who just remember and still have trouble understanding how people can do that to people. My Uncle spent a while as a prisoner of war, his experience never truly left him, he was always fair and gave everyone a chance, but he was hunted by it and while no one ever spoke about it, we knew, sometimes he looked into space, bleak, then the warmth would return and he was here again.

The people who remember are becoming fewer and the few left are not loud or vocal, we must gain as many of these stories before it is too late. The first world war is being run as an ongoing memorial this summer on the BBC, while I appreciate the reasoning and any raise in profile so we never repeat these problems is welcome, I wish they would also see what is happening today. The peace talks in Syria which are so very important, the whole 'terrorist' situation in the world. There used to be a phrase when I was a kid 'One mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter.' thrown round during 'the troubles' (what troubles, people died, bombs went off, guns were fired, it should have been war but no one wanted to say that in the news). We should be getting the stories of these folk, how they coped and what they did, long before we lose them. One of Favorite blogs it the history girls who often touch on things like this.

I know this is a sad start to my blog this morning, but the topic of the Holocaust day brought it all to mind, another phrase that I try to apply to my own life is 'If you do not learn from history you are doomed to repeat it.' so I shall keep asking questions and noting people stories, I shall chat with my pupils and make them think about what they read and why. I shall keep trying to make the young people of the future think about things not just accept sound bites, and above all I shall give second chances.

On a less emotive note I saw this and it made me giggle, not that it isn't a great idea, but 3 or 4 years ago we had a strong literacy committee running and one of the literacy committee for highland came to talk we us about our success. She saw what we had and what we planned and loved it but she had one other idea, and every one reads idea. once a day or if we couldn't then once a week, every one downed tools and read for 5 to 10 minutes, now this may have been a goer in the primaries, and I can see it being very effective when kids get one teacher and they do stay in one classroom, but the chance of doing the whole school would be impossible and to have it timetabled in... well the teachers on the committee were all muttering and while most could see the benefit, the disruption would be immense, I like the idea and with just 3 school years you could give it a one off go. I shall think about it. The web link came with one of these e-cards that fly round the web and make us all snigger, they are old pictures with new captions. This one was just right.

Also my new phone has the ability to take panoramas and I took this while playing. Not perfect but gives you a taster.

Sadly my knitting has taken a knock, my wrists look like being RSI which means certain movements end up making my hands freeze in pain and curtail my whole life, I can knit but not long, I may look into one of these lap holders made for people with arthritis, I can not give up knitting. ( I am at SABLE any way which is stash acquisition beyond life expectancy.) I also designed my first from scratch project, I will be uploading it to ravelery when I am happy it works and I have pictures. So again watch this space.

New four letter word for me, Time.

This last week has been one of retrospection, I have been looking back over a series of interactions to try and identify the point I could have made a change, could have made it different. My current job is so very different from what it was only a few years ago, I know I have talked about change and moving forward and I have been. What I need to do is the part of the reflective practitioner where you then look at what you would change and do that. I have let myself become an only forward looking person, this has been needed but now I must start looking round, I felt I could not in all honesty tell others who depend on me to do things if I wasn't doing them myself. So the current work I am doing is more of an assessment of my world and finding my own balance point, then I shall be off again like some manic toy!

Instead of whats new I am revisiting some of my old favorites, my blog of the week must be the History Girls, like any good site sometimes the post does not speak to me, but like any adult I can accept this and move on with out writing off what is a fun read most days. I often find a topic that I would have passed over contains lots of things of interest, and it helps to know you have value no matter who you are from the past. Another Blog I have been enjoying is by Michael Logan about writing and writers, again a well balanced blog, which covers all sorts of info, latest post is about how and how not to accept an agent and what you must think about when doing it. My final for now I shall mention is Letters to a Young Librarian which has the power to make me stop and reflect on my own world. Their latest post is on writing papers for conferences which is new to me so I got lots from it, even if I am not a new librarian.

After doing some homework and realizing that the one missing piece is now in place to apply for my fellowship of CILIP, I must now consider all the other parts, like my aforementioned Time. Until I sat and looked at what I do and what I don't get done, I hadn't realised how little time I get to do 'other' things in. My creativity and my craft things are now home focused and practical, I do not do an art class any more (no time and local college changed what courses offered) My design of things for the kids at school and my displays of facts and new books have gone almost completely, my plans for making the extra things more exciting has again gone. I hadn't felt their loss until I sat down and started to think about it all. I do wish I had more time to do this, but the challenges that have come about due to the changes are fun to me and the rising to the challenge have given me a whole new way to be fulfilled.

Why I do what I do?, what do I get out of them?, what could be done better? apply to my world. The basic steps for reflective practitioner. I enjoyed doing the CPD23 and I hope to get my own group of this going in the new year, so that others can get something out of it, even if it just these tools are not for me. The new North branch gives me the chance to potentially do more for others and to learn for myself, again I have plans and hope to make more of this and run events for all come the spring. But I must sit and do the 'why am I doing this' bit first! and then more on. A timely reminder that I need to support all I do and not go off tilting windmills as I no longer have the time to make big mistakes and still get my work done.

The Road is ongoing.