Empathy, not enabling

If this appears twice it's because I tried twice to "publish" it directly from Goodreads and it didn't seem to get posted. Friends know I don't mind repeating myself anyway...
Louder Than Words by Joe Navarro

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


On page 200 in a section that begins on page 199, “Address Emotions, But Don’t Indulge Them,” Navarro writes “Misery really does love company: excessive emoters distract others, focusing attention on themselves, as coworkers feel they must demonstrate empathy and solidarity. Work is disrupted, and others may even act on the beleaguered employee’s behalf to try to fix things. Not surprisingly, this further entrenches the behavior.” This kind of insight and wise counsel elevates this book far above a mere guide to body language. I enjoyed this book a lot.



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Congratulations Ernest Webby

Former Brockton library director Ernest Webby wins national award - Brockton, MA - The Enterprise

This article by Vicki-Ann Downing was in The Enterprise on December 9th. I tried to share it to Facebook but a "floating" advertisement covered the link so I used the barely-visible Blogger link, which only sends the link above, then copied and pasted the text of the article, and the photo, below.

BROCKTON — Ernest J. Webby Jr., former city library director, was one of three recipients of a prestigious national award given to people who volunteer at presidential libraries.

Webby, accompanied by his wife, Roberta, received the Weidman Outstanding Volunteer Service Award last week during ceremonies at the National Archives in College Park, Md.

Webby, 71, was nominated because of his volunteer work at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Dorchester. The award said he showed “ingenuity and achievement in establishing a program to enhance Web resources.”

A volunteer in the research room, Webby has overseen an effort to publish on the museum’s website all of Kennedy’s speeches, especially those given during the 1960 presidential election campaign.

“Ernest Webby has created and managed a program of mass cooperation for the production of electronic resources to be published on the John F. Kennedy Library’s website,” according to the awards program.

“Using both old and new methods of communication, Ernest has overseen the work of a large, far-flung and constantly changing group of ‘virtual volunteers.’ His project has developed electronic documents that have been used to support other library programs, but he has also produced a new community of individuals directly invested in the library’s goal of providing access to historical materials.”

In addition to volunteering one day a week at the Kennedy library, Webby works part-time at the Newton Free Library, his wife said.

He received a clock as part of the Weidman Award. The Webbys, accompanied by their daughter, Robyn, and her husband, David Bew, were also able to tour the national archives.

Webby worked as director of the Brockton Public Library from 1969 to 1994. He also worked in the Brockton public school libraries before and after that, his wife said.

Lobbying for Federal Support

I'm kind of proud of the string of words I put together in a message I just sent to Congressman Stephen F. Lynch. The boilerplate was urging him to support S. 3984, the Senate passed Museum and Library Services Act (MLSA) Reauthorization. This is the source for LSTA (formerly LSCA) funding.
My unique construction of some not-so-unique ideas was this:
Bill Gates popularized the term "The Digital Divide," and we certainly have that in Brockton along with the Literacy Divide, the English-as-a-Second-Language Divide, and the can't-afford-to-buy-books divide. The Brockton Public Library, with its limited municipal funding supplemented by MLSA dollars via our state agency, The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, is a lifeboat, a safe haven, a resource center and a beacon of hope for our citizens. Please urge your House colleagues and leadership to pass this worthy
legislation. Thank you!

Manhattan College News - Brother Justin's Legacy

My father urged me to attend Manhattan College in the sixties partly because he was so impressed with the insightful and effective abritration and guidance he witnessed (as Business agent for a "rogue" Teamsters local that resisted the influence of organized crime) from Brother Justin, who was on Manhattan's faculty. It looks like history has endorsed Dad's opinion of that great man. The
Manhattan Monthly - December 2010 | News Article
reports:
Manhattan College Offering New Labor Studies Major
Starting in January 2011, Manhattan College will be offering a new undergraduate labor studies major and minor in the school of arts. The labor studies program will teach critical intellectual skills enabling students to analyze social policy questions and prepare for graduate studies and/or careers in government, labor law, union organization, human resources, teaching and much more.

“I am honored to serve as the first director of the B.A. in labor studies at Manhattan College and that the new program will pay tribute to Brother Justin Brennan, F.S.C., who was the first pioneer of labor education at the College,” said Joseph J. Fahey, Ph.D., professor of religious studies. “As part of our Lasallian tradition, we are committed to social justice for all and this will be further exemplified through the future work of Manhattan’s labor studies graduates.”

A Different Kind of "Guardian Angel" in Brockton!

One Degree by Paul Wittwer




During a delightful visit by Jody's Mom, "Big Jody," and our dear friend Rhonda, the latter wanted to show us something online. Via amazon.com we were able to see the first 30 pages of this soon-to-be-published (in papgerback, available now for Kindle) life-affirming work, including the Dedications Page. There in the middle we read, "To Rhonda Lamothe, for becoming my guardian angel in some of my darkest hours." Rhonda was in tears describing a "crisis intervention" telephone conversation that began a nourishing friendship with the then-desperate author. Every couple of months Rhonda picks up Big Jody and they drive 75 miles for a sleepover. After a breakfast of bacon, eggs and cinammon raison toast they beat it back down the highway, but I swear I can still hear the flutter of wings.



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PSA for October 23rd events at Brockton Library

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Join Emily Dickinson at Brockton Public Library!

COME READ! If you’re in the City of Champions today come read a favorite poem at or after 2:30 at the Main Library at 304 Main Street. Join celebrity leaders beginning with Mayor Balzotti, new young poets who’ve been inspired by four writing workshops, and poetry lovers who are regulars at the Brockton Library Poetry Series. We received great publicity in the Enterprise and the Globe South.

Federal grant brings Emily Dickinson to Brockton Teens - Brockton, MA - The Enterprise