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July 14, 2013 by Karen Jensen, MLS

Sunday Reflections: This is what losing everything looks like

July 14, 2013 by Karen Jensen, MLS   9 comments

This week we begin EgmontUSA week here at TLT.  We also begin celebrating the second year of this blog.  But let’s go back in time and talk about how TLT started . . .
Round 1 of losses in the 2011 flood.

Before I lived in Texas, I lived in Marion, Ohio.  In 2010, Marion County was declared the county with the highest poverty rate in all 88 counties of Ohio.  And at the end of the month of February 2011, the county flooded.  The night before we had received 12 inches of snow.  The next night, we received a quick, stunning downpour of rain that melted the already 12 inches of snow.  Between the frozen ground and the overload of precipitation, the water had no where to go.  So this county that was already struggling to survive, these people that were struggling to work and eat and feed their children, lost almost everything in a flood.

A Tale of Two Libraries

At 4 o’clock that morning I awoke to a burning smell in my house and for some reason, I could tell it was coming from my basement.  When I opened the basement door I could see that it was rapidly filling with water.  And the water was electrified by a blue arc of light that was coming out of one of the electric sockets in my basement.  When I opened the front door to begin evacuating my children, I saw waist high water rushing down my street.  It was coming up on to my porch.  I shut the door quickly as I tried to figure out how I was going to evacuate an 8-year-old and a 2-year-old through freezing, rushing water at 4 a.m. and make sure they stayed safe.  It was in that moment that two men knocked on my door and asked if I needed help.  One of the men tried to go to the basement to turn of the breakers so my house wouldn’t burn down, but when he stepped into the water it shocked him so the house was on its own.  Then both of the men carried my daughters through the freezing water up onto a hill patch where we would be safe.

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It was a terrifying experience.  We lost 1/3 of our possessions, everything we had in our basement including a variety of books (gasp), my husband’s artwork and tools, children’s toys and more.

Children’s toys, Christmas decorations and more float in 3 feet of water the day after

I tell you all of this because this past week, the county had flash flooding again, the second time in a little over 3 years.  In fact, they have had very few dry days in 2013.  Once again these people who are trying to barely survive in a county where so many of the children are on free or reduced lunch (over 80%) will have to find a way to restore homes, replace lost items, refill refrigerators that are now empty because of power outages.

Libraries are the Beating Hearts (of Communities)

I have lived for 40 years now and it definitely seems that we are seeing a huge rise in the number of natural disasters and their devastating impacts on the lives of the people that they touch.  Tornadoes, Tsunamis, Hurricanes, Flooding.  In the past 3 years alone my life has now been touched twice by tornadoes and now twice by flooding.  And when you are barely scraping by under normal conditions, any type of disaster can end it all for you.  I have also had 3 friends try (two of them were successful) to end their lives in the last 3 years due to extreme financial circumstances.

So why TLT?  When my house flooded in 2011, my husband was already working in Texas and came home occasionally when he was off.  In June of 2011 we moved the kids here so we could be together as a family and I knew it would be hard to find a new job because I knew what was happening in the economy.  I did find a job, but I now work part-time with no benefits because even libraries are resorting to this tactic more and more to reduce their expenses.  There are man highly educated and experiences workers out there living paycheck to paycheck, with no benefits or retirement, wondering how they will fill their pantry and help their children go to college.  And so I blog.  I blog because I care about libraries and books and people.  I blog because I believe that in doing so, I can help my three loves: libraries, books and people.  I blog because I want people to understand and remember what it is like to be a teenager, what it is like to live in and surrounded by poverty.  I blog because I want to encourage us all to do the right thing and help each other out.  I blog because I hope one day, in some small way, my words might make a small difference and touch even one life.

In the last few years a lot of people have lost everything.  I can tell you what it looks and feels like because I am one of them.

I realize this is not the happy 2 year anniversary post that you were expecting, and I apologize.  But this is the reality of so many of the lives of the people we live by, serve, and talk to on a daily basis.  When we take a moment to understand what they may be going through, it can change our perspective, which is part of the reason we advocate reading.  Thank you for reading my blog, for reading this post, and for letting your heart be open to the reality of the world we are living in.  Thank you for this opportunity to share, on a daily basis, my passion.

 So why EgmontUSA? Egmont was one of the first publishers to work with me.  EgmontUSA was the first sponsor of the first ever It Came from a Book Teen Art Contest.  They were there at the beginning, so we are celebrating with them now.  They publish the stories that help soothe us in the worst of times, remind us to think of others, and help us all be good at our jobs. 

You can find all of our posts on Teens and Poverty here

Filed under: Blog Anniversary, EgmontUSA, Poverty, Sunday Reflections

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About Karen Jensen, MLS

Karen Jensen has been a Teen Services Librarian for almost 30 years. She created TLT in 2011 and is the co-editor of The Whole Library Handbook: Teen Services with Heather Booth (ALA Editions, 2014).

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Comments

  1. Nancy Tuuling says

    July 14, 2013 at 3:25 pm

    I'm so sorry for your losses and the struggles you are going through. I hope you know you have a lot of friends who are here for you if you need a hug or an ear to listen.

  2. Nancy Tuuling says

    July 14, 2013 at 3:26 pm

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

  3. Kristie W. says

    July 15, 2013 at 12:21 am

    From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for this post. You are a rock and a role model. I have to chime in and say that I grew up very poor, and have chosen a career field that means I live paycheck to paycheck (I'm a YS librarian). One of the ways I survived a childhood that was….tough was by reading. In fact, I would credit reading and books for making me the person I am today instead of following in my parents' footsteps. Books and libraries are my cause as well. I am uber conscious of teens at the library and have a spidey sense for kids who may be in a similar situation that I was in.

    I love this blog because I always feel like you guys keep it real. Realistic reviews, realistic programming, and realistic views for a diverse library population. Thank you, thank you, and Happy Anniversary!!!

  4. Teen Librarian's Toolbox, Karen says

    July 15, 2013 at 12:44 am

    Nancy, thank you so much. You are a good egg. And I appreciate you. You don't know this but when I first started blogging you were in line in front of me to meet Lauren Myracle, wearing your Girls in the Stacks t-shirt and I thought, “I want to be like her.” Maybe some day. But now I am so glad to be able to call you a friend.

  5. Teen Librarian's Toolbox, Karen says

    July 15, 2013 at 12:46 am

    Kristie, thank you so much for your kind words. They really mean a lot. And I think everyone from teachers to social workers to librarians are heroes because they knowingly go into a field knowing they will not make a lot of money but hoping to make a positive mark on this world that we live in. And yes, reading can be a salve on so many wounds. I am glad that we are here together fighting the good fight for our teens. So glad to be in this profession with you.

  6. Marna Martin says

    July 15, 2013 at 3:36 pm

    Thank you so much for sharing this.

    I'm a librarian in an equally poor part of PA. While I'm lucky enough to be working full-time, there are no benefits. Every day I work with people in desperate need, helping them find resources for making it through until times someday improve.

    Many of the people I work with daily are teens. Teens who are neglected because their parents are working two or three jobs to make ends meet. Teens who are hungry. Teens who feel like no one cares about them. Teens who see “jail” as their most likely life path. I'm one of the few people here actively working to change that, to let them know they have value, to let them know someone genuinely cares for them no matter how bad things get. It's a huge challenge. I scour through your blog regularly for ideas I can use with the library's kids.

    Thank you for being here.

  7. Tahleen says

    July 16, 2013 at 12:50 am

    Thank you for sharing your stories, your opinions, and yourself with us all here at TLT. I feel very fortunate to have found your blog, and consider it an invaluable resource as a new teen services librarian. I look to you as a role model, and someone I would like to be like as I continue on in this profession. God bless.

  8. Teen Librarian's Toolbox, Karen says

    November 18, 2013 at 4:18 pm

    Thank you so very much for this comment. And your teens are so blessed to have you serving them. Karen

  9. Teen Librarian's Toolbox, Karen says

    November 18, 2013 at 4:19 pm

    Thank you for this kind comment, I appreciate it. I also follow you and know that you are a great advocate and gift to this world. Bless.

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