by Carla Pfahl
Quick Summary
I’m in a Zoom meeting with 40 other librarians across Minnesota, North and South Dakota, working on the ELM RFP (Request for Proposal) for the next collection of online resources that will begin July 1, 2020, and my 4th grade daughter walks
I’m in a Zoom meeting with 40 other librarians across Minnesota, North and South Dakota, working on the ELM RFP (Request for Proposal) for the next collection of online resources that will begin July 1, 2020, and my 4th grade daughter walks into my home office and poses this question to me, “What, honey? I’m not sure, ask Google.” Yes, I said that. I shift back into my Zoom meeting. “Google isn’t giving me the answer. I’m still confused.” I ask her to put that one aside and focus on other work. Back to Zoom.
This was day 3 of online school and I realize that my distant-learner 4th grader asks a lot of potent questions that she usually is able to share within her class and work things through with classmates. I am now her sole classmate and the questions are flying!
We are in week 4 of staying at home but only 3 days in with online school and today was the hardest day we have had so far. Assignments are being assigned, work is happening and questions are naturally flowing from that work. On top of that, the construction workers across the street building a new house are pounding and hammering and shouting. All the while I have work. As a librarian that works with statewide online resources for schools and libraries, I, along with my organization, have suddenly become very popular. I’m not complaining. I have work. I have fulfilling work and I am contributing to a greater good that is especially relevant in this time. I am grateful.
My mind is having a hard time rewiring itself over and over again. My brain feels scattered, unfocused. There’s too many things all at once. I need to prioritize, then reprioritize. Organize, reorganize. Okay, just focus on one thing at a time. Please don’t interrupt me!!! I’m sorry for yelling. Let’s all have work time, discussion time, work time. Then let’s go for a walk. So many people out on walks! Zig zag from one side of the block to the other. I need to finish that homemade mask so I can go out and get groceries. Thanks for the pattern, Lizzy!
Day 4 of online school for my kids. I settle in to work and get distracted by emails. I close my eyes, take a breath, and say “Sometimes is an adjective.” Here we go. One day at a time.
