As a librarian, I can’t resist reading this children’s book series. (This time I listened to it on audio). While this book wasn’t as enjoyable as book 1 or 2 in the series, there was a timely and valuable lesson that I gleamed from it. .
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In the words of football coach Vince Lombardi “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get back up.” Similarly, the words of Robert Kennedy are “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly”. The theme of this book is resilience and perseverance as main character Kyle Keeley races to solve the mystery of Mr. Lemoncello’s first board game creation and save his long-standing reputation. Hitting roadblock after roadblock, Kyle and his friends finally succeed. .
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In my work life, my current position as a branch librarian is really testing me in ways I didn’t imagine. It is a demanding role in a very busy and new branch. There are days where I struggle and come home exhausted and days where I feel elated and confident because of what I achieved. The hardest part is that it is a temporary position. I keep trying for permanent ones and I keep getting rejected. There are times where I feel so defeated that I have questioned my career choice. So, reading this book at this time has given me the renewed motivation to keep trying. It’s reminded me that it is okay to fail and it is okay to make mistakes. What matters is that you continue to try, continue to take risks, and have faith that eventually you will succeed. If you do not try, you will not grow. .
So I will continue to spring back into shape after rejection, after hardship, and after challenges. That is what resiliency is and that is what strength is, and I will not give up on what matters to me which is being a librarian, sharing my love for literacy, and enjoying an enriching and fulfilling career.