Weekend reflection: trying new things

Animal leggings caught outside the Norfolk in Surry Hills

This weekend I had a barrage of family and friend related emotional crises to attend to so I didn't have time to #blogjune which is why I'm going to try and catch up today. I'm going to blog about these emotional crises because I so often find myself in the middle of them, exhausted and full of worry. Hopefully by blogging about it I can get some clarity. One of the crises this weekend resulted in my advice to try new things, don't be afraid, take a leap, start a hobby, make a new friend, open yourself up more, you only get back what you give and take rescue remedy. This usually happy person is just plain sad. How can you fix that? Tell them it will get better. How useless is that when you're sad? She's also bored and lonely which is why I gave the particular advice above. She's the kind of person who doesn't open up or give up alot about herself willingly which means she feels like no one really knows her at all. Hence my advice above. I think if she can start a hobby, be more open and make new friends she'll be less sad and bored and lonely. But who am I to say? I'm know how lucky I am not to be sad or bored or lonely. Why is that? Do I  take my own advice? Definitely not always. All I know is, on Saturday night I saw a girl wearing animal leggings and I loved them *hearts* so I went up to her and said:
me "Hi I love your animal leggings! Could I take a photo?"
her "Thanks, sure you can"
me "actually I was going to roll you for them and steal them but I thought a photo would do"
her laughs slightly disturbed
me "where did you get them from?" as I take several blurry photos 
her "a little shop in Melbourne"
me "oh! Melbourne! Of course!"
her "yeah! hahah"
me "thanks for the photo! bye!"
her "bye!"
I ran back to my friends who thought I was crazy for doing that but I just thought - why? I liked the leggings and really wanted them but thought a photo would be a good alternative. I wasn't afraid, took a leap, opened up and could have made a new friend if I wanted. I know it's not easy for everyone to do that kind of thing but I'm just saying if you're sad and bored and lonely - what are your options? You could stay in every night listening to the Dirty Three and reading vampire fiction (which can be quite satisfying) or you can get out there and get in it. I don't know what the remedy for sadness is but for me the recipe for happiness lies in the advice I gave this gorgeous girl.

What does this all have to do with libraries? Not that I really need to draw any connections but as I was writing this I saw some. My advice - be more open, give what you want to get back, try new things, take a leap, these are all things I would say to people working in libraries too. If you want your community to feel like they know you, like they are involved and a part of you ( as a library) - you need to reach out and open up. Something to ponder this Monday morning.