Well, this was interesting. I was, in reality, 5.
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You Belong in 1958 |
1958
If you scored...
1950 - 1959: You're fun loving, romantic, and more than a little innocent. See you at the drive in!
1960 - 1969: You are a free spirit with a huge heart. Love, peace, and happiness rule - oh, and drugs too.
1970 - 1979: Bold and brash, you take life by the horns. Whether you're partying or protesting, you give it your all!
1980 - 1989: Wild, over the top, and just a little bit cheesy. You're colorful at night - and successful during the day.
1990 - 1999: With you anything goes! You're grunge one day, ghetto fabulous the next. It's all good!
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So while I'm sitting in the library staring off into space, but secretly plotting the relocation of 16,000 volumes and assorted sundries, I notice that there is a boy at a computer wearing a sweatshirt I haven't seen before. On the back there is a Hebrew word at the top, sort of in an arc, and under that a word that I presume is the English transliteration of that word. Beneath that a large central image that looks for all the world like the Boy Scouts symbol, but with a Hebrew word in the crest at the bottom. Underneath that, the words, in English: "Israeli Scouts" and under that, MyLittleTown, NJ.
In other words, among the Israeli community here, they are not sending their sons to join any of the numerous and active Boy Scouts of America posts we have to offer. Instead, they are presumably joining the Israeli Boy Scouts, right here, right here in New Jersey.
My grandfather would be horrified. My immigrant, orthodox grandfather, the one who took his kids to Macy's every Christmas to see Santa Claus because that's what American children do.
I'm not opposed to diversity in society, not by any means. We should celebrate and appreciate our own uniqueness and that of others. But to encourage the continued splintering of society just doesn't seem right. We need to encourage unity instead. You brought your kid to America to live. Our Boy Scouts aren't good enough for you?
I'm not done yet.
What is wrong with people who WALK THEIR DOGS ON SCHOOLYARDS? I don't mean walk, la la la, taking a walk with my dog on a nice open field, that's nice, no problem there. Why would anyone let their dog take a dump on a schoolyard and not pick it up? There are laws, you know! Geez.
Meanwhile, I'm not falling apart or being depressed over this librarian-without-a-library thing about to befall me -- I'm so evolved -- but I keep looking around at where I've been working for 28 years and every so often it hits me that it's all going to be gone. Not like I'm retiring and this thing I've built is going on without me -- that would be cool -- but like it's going to be demolished and what did I do it all for? I know, I know, it's temporary and then I'm going to be the one who creates a new library from the ground up, and I'll be leaving that as my legacy (which is as foolish a thought as it could possibly be), but even so. Even so.
And I'm starting a list of all the asinine things people say to me about libraries, because I can't believe them, I just can't. My favorite so far is when someone said to me last week, "Well, you don't get many kids in and out during the day, do you?" No, of course not, no one ever comes in here, ever. That's why they pay me the big money. And when I discussed storage with the head custodian -- a very good guy -- the other day, he asked "Well, don't you have a lot of old books you can just get rid of?"
**teeth grinding * fists clenching**
Listen, Buddy, I won't worry about keeping the boiler boiling and you don't worry about the old books. 'Kay?
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I'm watching Gilmore Girls
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next
Sweet Sorrow - 06.12.2007
So ... - 12.19.2006
Christmastime Is Near - 12.18.2006
Fifteen Years - 12.17.2006
A Message From Our Sponsor - 12.16.2006
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