The Afro Librarian Gets An Angry Note.

This week, I asked some students to be quiet in the library. It’s so cliche’. There are cartoons about being quiet in the library, there are one and a half million memes about being quiet in the library. Anyone who has ever heard of “the library” knows that it’s a quiet place.

Everyone except these students… If you haved worked with young people, you know the scenario: One person is on the computer, but their 2 friends (who are NOT working) are talking loud, laughing and eating… IN THE LIBRARY. You would think they’d lie low, but NOOOOOOO! They were so loud that students, who were actually trying to study, discretely switched computers, glared angrily, sighed, huffed and puffed, all in an effort to quiet their riotous behavior. Of course, at this point I was forced to do my job and quiet the library. I addressed the loudest friend with a choice "you can get your own computer, or you can leave, but you can't sit here and talk to your friend." (Pause. Please understand, I'd already approached the group about eating AND again about talking loudly in the library). At this point, not only does the friend leave, but so does the person who was actually doing work on the computer. I guess it was too much to work without an entourage… Yes, they left, but not before leaving a wonderful note expressing how much they appreciated my services…

Of course they didn’t give it DIRECTLY to me. So there’s that. Thank goodness, cuz I’m professional, but I’m also from the West side of Chicago and what you’re NOT gonna do is be disrespectful to my face.

What the students don’t know, is that after this incident happened, I’m the one that advocated for them not to be banned from the library. Why? Because in the grand scheme of things, it’s more important to me they are able to use our facilities than it is for me to drop the hammer on them for being disrespectful. Maybe one day they’ll realize the life lesson of being nice to people because you never know who will help you behind the scenes…

Truthfully, I can’t even get mad. This week has been really difficult, and not because I got cussed out in really bad handwriting...

I've learned that yet another one of my Facebook friends has died before the age of 50. This information shook me more than I'd expected. I've had 6 friends die since 2010 and 5 of them were due to stress related illnesses like heart disease. When I got that note at work, I internalized that negative energy as anger. But the truth is, stress, anger and bad habits are taking folks out. On top of life's daily stress, I also have been dealing with 2016 and all its stressful events. Opening my Facebook page invites constant images of young Black people being slaughtered by unapologetic public "servants". My feelings of helplessness and being ignored adds to the daily stress I encounter just living day to day. So, this week, when I felt the stress of life building around me, I immediately prayed for peace of mind and guidance for myself and for those students.

I remembered my health and my commitment to my own peace of mind. I went for a walk to release the anger, sadness and stress of this week. I followed my walk with 10 minutes of meditation. I made sure to walk and meditate near the lake so I could benefit even more from being with nature. And when I was done, I felt lighter in my heart.

This is my happy place. Lake Pontchartrain.
The picture on the life is where I walk off the stress.
The picture on the right is where I meditate for peace. 

So, remember to take care of your own mental health. Take a walk, be with people who make you laugh, go around nature or hug someone you love. When someone tries to break your spirit, release it and walk in light. These things will save your life.

Until next time

Peace and Light,

The Afro Librarian

The Afro Librarian: Two Good Books to Read When Your Soul is Weary.

Hello good people. Today’s blog gives you tools to help you explore some of the burning questions of spiritual growth and enlightenment.

Ok, ok. Not like that. Let me start with me...

My spiritual journey began when I was in my early 20's. Since then I've slowly developed my own understanding of God, spirit and my place in the world. I guess my journey was handed to me by my mother and my grandmother, both who were magical women in their own right. As a small child, I watched as my mother washed the floors with high john the conqueror and van van floor wash... burned candles for her prayers and petitions and left food out for our ancestors. It wasn't until I was an adult that I realized these things were unusual.  

I've always supplemented my spiritual journey with books. (Cuz... I'm a librarian deep down in my soul!) There are a few that stand out because of their timeless message. These books have helped to shape my unique perspective of the world and how to keep my sanity. I'll start with the two that had the greatest influence on my life. 

One Day My Soul Just Opened Up: 40 days and 40 nights towards spiritual strength and personal growth.
Iyanla Vanzant

You may know Iyanla Vanzant from the show "Iyanla: Fix My Life", the show that airs on OWN TV (Oprah Winfrey Network). This book saved my life. Literally. Picture this... The love of my life, three years into the relationship, has a come to Jesus moment and decides he needs to go a whole nother way. A way that no longer includes me. I was 20-something, with no sense of self, and I had no idea that life could go on without my ride or die love. I had to get my life together, so I took a walk with Iyanla. 

One day my Soul Just Opened Up: 40 days and 40 nights towards spiritual strength and personal growth is a wonderful book. Iyanla shares her life struggles in such and honest and relateable way... You just KNOW she understands. She breaks down the process of healing your entire life with 40 short daily exercises. Iyanla Vanzant had the foresight to create a book that gives daily affirmations, guided meditations and space for daily journaling. This is a workbook in the truest sense of the word! Iyanla Vanzant provides you with a wonderful tool to get in touch with your own personal healing power. 

Conversations With God: An uncommon Dialogue.
Neale Donald Walsch

Neale Donald Walsch is the reason I understand that God is not mad at me. I know so many people who could benefit from that message. Thankfully, Walsch's book records his transformative conversation with God. He asks all the questions you grapple with when your faith waivers. Questions like, "Why is there death in the world" and "Why do good people suffer" are some of the ones that hit home with me. But this book allows you to think of God in a totally new and different way, as a friend. Reading this book changed the way I dealt with God, how I approached prayer and spirituality and how I looked at the world. There's hope in this book. 

My spiritual path is a long and winding road (We'll get more into that as time passes). These two books helped me to find myself. These books helped me to heal my heart and elevate my spirit. I hope they bring you the same joy!

Until next time, 

Peace and Light

The Afro Librarian

Mercury Retrograde Will Debo Your Entire Life.

There. The Internet has given you a definition of the period between August 30th - September 22nd
that's easy for everyone to understand. Nice, sweet and to the point. It doesn't sound too bad huh?... yeah.

This month has brought in a mercury retrograde that's kicking butts and taking names. I don't know about you, but this month's retrograde came in stomping my flowers and kicking over my water buckets. It straight DEBO'd my peaceful life. (WHAT peaceful life???!!!) Like Red in the Five Heartbeats, it held my convictions over the banister and made me repeat it's office hours.

I've already talked to three friends who were ready to end their relationships over communication issues, otherwise known as, "He's making me want to kill him"... So... let the Afro Librarian give you some insight.

August 30- September 22, 2016 has one mission... to teach you the value of sittin daflip down and shutting daflip up! During this time, you MUST think long and hard before speaking, and even longer and harder before acting. But the good news is, if you survive, your relationships will be stronger! Yay! (IF you survive) lol.

So... Here's some books to read while you're sitting daflip down and shutting daflip up! The descriptions aren't mine... they belong to Google Books... but I'm including them so you know what to expect from each book. Enjoy! and remember, STFU!

How to Survive Mercury Retrograde: And Venus and Mars Too. 

Go beyond the fear and negativity of retrograde periods and achieve success. Retrogrades can present unexpected opportunities when you approach them with creativity and patience. How to Survive Mercury Retrograde shows you how to be better prepared for retrograde cycles and handle those areas of life that are most commonly affected. Discover the answers to questions about getting married, accepting a new job, or buying a car during a retrograde period. Explore retrograde survival tips that will help you maintain focus and correct mistakes. Look up your sign and corresponding element to see how you can cope. Whether you are a student of astrology or just someone wanting to know how to survive a retrograde cycle with less stress, this book will help you navigate these challenging astrological periods.

Mercury Retrograde

In Mercury Retrograde, spiritual journalist Pythia Peay unveils the period's deeper meanings. By working with the slower pace of Mercury retrograde, rather than going against it, we can allow ourselves to step outside the narrow framework of our ordinary lives. Rather than push forward, it is a time to retreat, if possible, from the usual harried, hurried way of doing things. 

In a book that includes a Mercury ephemeris and an astrological glossary, Peay traces the history of this powerful concept and illustrates its mythological underpinnings. She offers a practical, incisive analysis of how Mercury retrograde can be a tool for growth and insight into our fast-paced contemporary existence.

Mercury Retrograde: Your Guide to Astrology's Most Precarious Time of Year! 

When the planet Mercury shifts orbit, we experience a few weeks of missed connections and communication breakdowns. Your package never arrives. You sign a contract that turns into a disaster. You may feel it's bad luck. It's Mercury Retrograde and it's happening to everyone, all at the same time. This is a practical workbook with a calendar to make it simple to look up the times when Mercury is retrograde and plan ahead, and a survival guide with techniques to help you sail through these periods. It explains how Mercury Retrograde is a gift to make your life more fulfilling. The golden secret of Mercury Retrograde is a time to review, revisit, re-examine, rethink and reboot.

Now you'll be prepared when mercury retrograde comes at you like... 

Til next time,

Peace and light

The Afro Librarian.