Listen to the interview here!
Corrine Hollis Brumbach
Toni Reece: Hi, this is Toni Reece. Welcome to the Get Inspired! Project for Berks County Living Magazine. Today I am so honored to be in front of Corrine Hollis Brumbach. Corrine, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Corrine Hollis Brumbach: Well, I am 27. I am a children’s librarian. I love to enjoy life to its fullest potential. I love traveling and I get to New York City as often as I can. I like Broadway, good food – I’m still in the process of learning how to cook good food. Those are some of the things I enjoy. I have two dachshunds that I love to pieces.
Toni: Corrine, thank you for being here. Let’s go to the first question of the Project. What does inspiration mean to you?
Corrine: It’s a great question, and I hadn’t really thought about it until this little venture. I think inspiration is someone or something that challenges someone to be better, or to be better in an aspect of their life, whether it’s their job or their relationship or something that challenges them to try something new and to push the envelope a little bit.
Toni: Is it an event, or is it a characteristic that pushes you, or is it something you feel and you say, “I can do this really well,” – what is it?
Corrine: For me, whenever I see inspiration for myself, it’s usually an event or a picture or I hear a story, and I want to change because for me, my journey in life is being the best person I can possibly be – that altruistic self. Just constantly trying to be kinder and be more generous and just be the best possible person you can be, and finding little inspiration, whether it’s big inspiration or just something small that you see during the day that inspires you. I think when you put it all together …
Toni: It creates something to move, doesn’t it?
Corrine: Exactly.
Toni: That’s what I’m hearing you say is that it really is an event that you are witnessing that creates some sort of movement, whether it’s in your thinking or in your action.
Corrine: A little while ago on my way to work I passed the Museum, and there was this older gentleman there sitting with his dog, and he was just perfectly content. Not moving, just taking in nature. That was inspiring to me, because I’m in a generation where it is technology 24/7. The other evening I looked around me, and I had my laptop, my iPad, my iPhone, the TV all within reach. It’s a little over-stimulating sometimes. Seeing him, just that visual inspired me.
Toni: It inspired you to sit still.
Corrine: To sit still. It’s I think getting harder to do that with everything so fast-paced and everything moving full speed ahead. Sometimes it’s nice to sit back.
Toni: Can you give us an example of how you put inspiration into practice in Berks County, how you feel about being inspired, and what you’ve done with that in Berks County?
Corrine: Sure. My job is primarily working with children, so I’m constantly taking ideas that inspire me and trying to emulate them in my work and helping children learn. The thing about kids that I really love that inspires me is they are so nonjudgmental, they’re fearless, their innocence, and their belief that anything is possible. That’s when I love kids the most, because they haven’t been tarnished by the big, scary world and some of the bad things that can sometimes influence them. They really influence me in a good way and inspire me. It’s kind of a give and take.
Toni: Do you recall an event that maybe you witnessed or you were inspired by, and you took that into your work and you put it into practice with the children? When you think about the way you describe what inspires you, it is all about movement. It’s all about action. With the gentleman on the bench that was doing nothing, it inspired you to do nothing; so with the kids, they’re fearless, they’re full of possibilities – is there something that you could have related to the children based on something you were inspired by?
Corrine: I just try and inspire them with books, and I just try my very best to give them that first positive experience with them so that their quest for knowledge continues.
Toni: That’s a pretty tall order.
Corrine: It is.
Toni: And that is not to be taken lightly! So really, how you put your inspiration into practice here in Berks County is inspiring children so that they move to action to read books.
Corrine: I’m hoping. Hopefully that’s what I’m doing.
Toni: So who in Berks County, other than the children you’ve already mentioned, inspires you?
Corrine: There are lots of people. Other than my family, I would have to say the talent that’s in Berks County, the artists, and the small business owners. There are so many people that have started businesses – successful – I mean, huge! They’ve started it from the ground up, and that’s all here in our little county, and I’m very proud of that. A lot of times Berks doesn’t get the recognition that it deserves. We have so much talent here in many areas, but especially the arts and in business.
Toni: As far as a mentoring way, doesn’t it? In order to be mentored by the small business owner or the artists. We do. You’re right. We have a lot of really unique talent.
Corrine: Most definitely.
Toni: That’s fantastic.
Corrine: Yes.
Toni: So what would you want your legacy to be?
Corrine: Well, I must admit at 27 I didn’t give that a whole lot of thought, but I mulled it over a bit and it would please me if a kid 30 years from now can say, “I remember story time with Miss Corrine. I remember she read that favorite book of mine.” If I can plant those happy memories for those kids, I think I’ll be pleased.
Toni: So the inspired way that you move a child and help them to be interested in books, to have that be a legacy or have that be a desire of your legacy, that is amazing. Thank you so very much for being part of this Project and for doing the work that you do.
Corrine: Absolutely. My pleasure. Thank you for having me.
Corrine Hollis Brumbach
