Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2003 - 8:32 am
Um... I'm sorry.
This relationship just isn't working for me.
I'm at www.dailypreciousness.org now. So change that bookmark.
I got a very strange comment today. After a small group of Germans invaded the library this morning, (I think they were part of an exchange program or something), a parent came up and introduced herself. "You must be the new librarian... the last time I was here, I saw you and I just thought you were somebody's big brother!" She laughed a small self-deprecating laugh.
This struck me as very odd. The woman *did* have glasses, but I can't imagine that she honestly mistook me for a sibling of a 10-year-old. That's just too weird to believe or comprehend. I mean, I look my age. I'm obviously a 30-something. I wonder if the lady forgot her medication that morning in order to think that about me.
Another, more mellow episode, happened later in the day. A little girl who checked out a cookbook decided to bring me an offering from the book. "This is for you, Mr. Brady," she said, eyes glittering. She held up a paper plate, covered with a paper napkin. Dounya is a 4th grader and wanted to try out a recipe from the book. It's a strange and mysterious dish called "cinnamon toast." Although a bit dry, she did a good job. Nice spice to butter ratio there. This was my first little offering from a munchkin. These little things always touch my heart and I suppose that they keep the job so fresh and interesting every day.
In the tradition of schools everywhere, this one has an insanely busy schedule that shifts and changes course regularly.
My library is, of course, one of the largest rooms in the school. Therefore, there are a lot of meetings and other gatherings here. The up side is that I get plenty of coffee, donuts and that sort of thing. (This week, we're having a parent-run Italian lunch buffet, which is a nice touch.)
The down side is that I regularly have my work flow and routine interrupted by random events. It's like a roll of the dice everytime I walk in here. This morning, for example, a busload of German families waltzed in and started having a meeting with their host parents as part of the town exchange program. I learned about Aachen, Germany and the experience that some of the kids had there last spring. They were very friendly, of course, but I just would've liked a little lead time. That way, I could've gotten to work sooner or something. I don't know.
