Virtual Librarian

Just like everybody else, I journeyed my life so far through the usual ups and downs brought about by myself, other people and circumstances, riding the waves of living, exploring and discovering pieces in the eternal Puzzle of Life – “What Are We Here For?”

I think we’re here to do the best we can with the resources we have, in the name of evolution, at the level given to each of us by our specific circumstances. Does that make sense? To put it simply, do your best with what you have and make a difference in the world.

I am blessed with a naturally inquisitive spirit. As soon as my first beloved teacher showed me how to read, the world became my oyster – not just our world, as we know it, but the world of every possibility, the world of everybody else’s thoughts and all the discoveries made so far and the rest… you can imagine my thirst for learning and knowing, which never ceased to colour my days and nights alike.

I wasn’t as lucky with the environment in which I was born, as my parents didn’t put a lot of importance on my education and on guiding me through the maze. I ended up with a bad habit that turned me into an information junkie, without a coherent understanding of the overwhelming input. However bad this may seem, I remember the best lesson that father imparted one day. We were having lunch together when he affirmed that ‘if you want something done, then you’ll have to do it yourself!’.

The two years difference between my brother and me meant that I was ripe enough around the age of seven to realise this was a profound lesson and engage my little dendrites in figuring out what it meant. However, my brother can’t remember the incident from his then 5 year old perspective. Trusting as I was, it didn’t take my father a lot of effort to sow the seed of responsibility in my fragile but fertile mind.

The rest is history… It may take a short or a long time for you to figure this one out; some get it and others don’t during their lifetimes, but the fact of the matter can be put in three little words that Nike used so effectively ever since they came up with their slogan: “Just Do It!”

I was born at the right time… I matured around the time the Internet came along and I saw its potential in connecting and uniting people worldwide, let alone the plenty of work those people endeavour to do on it. I saw both its value as a tool for organising my resources, as well as its inherent power to distract one’s focus of attention.

By that time I’ve already built my foundation for a good profession, as an ESL teacher and I continued to collect fantastic materials both for my own learning and for teaching purposes. Now I can see the happy combination in which I can resolve my information junkie problem, by sharing what I have and what is accessible not only with other likewise dedicated teachers, but also with parents of studious children, students and budding teachers alike. Becoming a virtual librarian and a writer is my current goal and I’m applying my father’s early lesson – take responsibility and just do it!