Sally Thompson, National Library’s Services to Schools Team Leader in Christchurch and a Kākaho in the Whiria te Tāngata programme on professional and personal growth ahead of retirement.
It’s been a while, a decade maybe, time to get back on the learning and development horse. This is me talking to myself, exposing myself whilst I stretch and grow on this Whiria te Tāngata journey.
Pushing myself despite looming retirement
Whiria te Tāngata will be a fantastic opportunity to do some learning, an opportunity ‘to give back’. You haven’t had a chance to do anything of a national nature in your career (debatable but old news) to purposefully make a difference for the profession, rather than just your community and organisation. What a fabulous way to end a long, passionate but perhaps thinning career. I knew you couldn’t resist a challenge once dangled under your nose. Seriously, can’t you just sit back and work into your retirement. Absolutely NO WAY!
How perfect to be exposed to a new learning environment, work with someone you admire, learn a lot, meet some new leaders and future movers and shakers. It’s going to be great – but you are nervous. You are used to being with your people, the library whānau you grew up in over the 80’s and 90’s. You have been away from the frontline for a while and so much has evolved. Yup!
Reality sets in
Jeepers, this is harder than you thought. You are exposed! There is an abrupt realisation you have become the person you have seen before. The person you have felt sorry for, not quite keeping up, not quite as sharp as you used to be and NERVOUS. Very nervous and clearly not cushioned by previous encounters, perhaps a few wines at Conference, a lively discourse in a training session or arguing your youthful ideals at ‘Library School’.
Your library life has been in a large successful and forward-acting public library network. Your mātauranga Māori, waiata practice, marae visits, training, bi-lingual signage, Nga Taonga Māori has been led by impressive Māori colleagues, a loving Whaea. You have been kindly helped with loud singing voices and practice on the marae.
Being an enthusiastic participant and lover of learning means nothing now as you sit exposed, on your own, feeling foolish and utterly inarticulate. That’s a pretty grounding kind of experience. Grounding, read devastating.
Finding my feet
Pick yourself up and flick that old ego into touch. You have no idea what’s going to happen, but it’s going to be better than you can imagine. You are now exposed in the very best way. Privileged to be a member of a whole new learning environment, an opportunity to not be the person you used to pity, but get yourself together and listen and learn and drink it all in.
Find your voice, participate, know where you can add value and just love everything and share your excitement and enthusiasm with others, make that difference, find that passion project, grow like te Totara.
A transformative noho marae
Oh no, now you want to LIVE on a marae. Better than you ever imagined and a whole new way of thinking, a better way. Manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, whakapapa. Exposed to and shared with aroha and manaaki. You have a lot to learn and a little bit to share, already. Kia ora!
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