Work on Wednesday: One Day Late Due to Earthquake Action

Okay, now is as good a time as any to use the "earthquake excuse." I'm sorry I didn't post yesterday; I was too busy surviving an earthquake!

A few things to note here:

1. We're, like, a bunch of years overdue for the next Big One. We're pretty much on top of the San Andreas Fault, which erupts every so often in geological history. It hasn't erupted in a while. On top of that, there are oodles of other quite active faults in SoCal as well.

2. I work for a city that takes disaster preparedness VERY seriously. I have an emergency worker ID, a number to call when Armgaeddon happens, and a lot of expectations about what will be required. Not only that, but about twice a month all city staff are reminded of what to do in an earthquake: Drop, Cover, and Hold On.

3. I laughingly tell my Director that my codename is "Jigsaw" because I expect myself to go to pieces when catastrophe strikes.

Well, each time in the past, I have not been at work when the earthquakes hit. I've been at home, and each time, I have frozen in terror and didn't do the Drop Cover Hold On bit. Epic fail.
And then...yesterday it all changed.

Thank god it was not bigger, or closer, than it was. It could have been a very bad scenario: later afternoon; dozens of children still in the building for the Kids's Program; the middle of summer and therefore brutally hot and sunny. I was talking with one of my bosses in the doorway of her office when we felt the first tremble. I paused to see if that was it.

It wasn't.

It was loud. The next tremble hit, and I dove under my boss's desk. I felt like a fool, staring at my boss's feet (she had not yet taken cover) and I actually apologized. Then the next rumble, worse than the first two, hit and then my boss was right there beside me, taking cover under her desk.

Thankfully, her desk is big.

As the rumbling and trembling was still happening, I turned to her and said, "When this is over, we'll need to check on the patrons." I said it almost conversationally.

It took a while for the trembling to end. It tapered off, until it was just giving these occasional, convulsive shudders, in a twisted parody of an extremely prolonged orgasm. When the floor was finally done twitching, we emerged and joined the sea of city employees surging out of the workroom and into the Library proper. Our g

oal was clear and didn't need to be spoken: check on the patrons. See if they are okay.

Thankfully, everyone was.

I learned a few things during this event: 1. That I chose to die with my boss (that actually went through my head as I dove under her desk "I'd rather die in here with ---- than over there, alone, under a workbench). Didn't matter that I didn't die. I could have. And I thought I might. 2. I didn't actually go to pieces. In fact, I kept my head enough to Drop Cover and Hold On (I suspect I was worried that if I didn't, I would have points deducted on my annual evaluation). Ad 3. My library rocks.

Quite literally, actually!

Work on Wednesday: When the Political Becomes Personal

A rather lengthy disclaimer:

When trying to figure out the nature and feel of this here bloggy thing, I was really overwhelmed with what it could be. So many options...crafty, self-helpy, booky, worky, research-y...the one thing that I was sure about was what I DIDN'T want it to be...I didn't want it to be a politically-charged blog. It's not that I don't follow politics, or don't vote; rather, it's the opposite. I have very decided political and social opinions, and while I'm all about the free speech, I figured in this arena, for me, discretion was the better part of valor. I don't want any potential readers to feel uncomfortable or provoke their disapprobation. (Yes, I am guilty of the mortal sin of wanting to be liked.) As well, on the off chance that anyone figures out where I work, I never want this blog or its content to be interpreted or seen as a reflection of the views of my employers.

But, as I began ruminating over today's blog entry, one thing became painfully clear to me: in my profession, things get political very quickly. So there's going to be some politics here, from time to time. Like it or lump it, I say. Personal, professional, and political tend to blend together.

So, on that note...

Last week, as I was perusing my various professional publications, an interesting article caught my eye. I'll include excerpts from the article in bold; my initial thoughts in italics and quotes.

Indiana-East Chicago Public Library Director Manny Montalvo and his wife were arrested by transit police Thursday at the Millenium Park Metra Station, where police said the couple were heavily intoxicated, tried to board an empty South Shore train, and shoved and verbally abused officers who told them to leave the platform.Montalvo on Friday said he would fight charges of disorderly conduct, criminal trespass and battery of a police officer, and denied that he or his wife were intoxicated.

"We were at the Cubs game and we were running late, trying to get on the train and the cop is yelling at us and berating us," said Montalvo. "We needed to get on that train and get home to our kids."

"This could really be a misunderstanding. After all, cops aren't exactly known for giving the most accurate version of events."

The Montalvos became abusive, shouting obscenities at the officers who pointed out signs posted at the platform stating loud and disruptive behavior is not allowed on NICTD trains.

"Whoa, the newspaper's really screwing this up, not specifying that this is ALLEGED behavior. What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty?"

"How come they didn't do no Breathalyzer? They didn't try to charge me with any alcohol charges because they knew they wouldn't stick," said Montalvo.

"Oh, HELL no. Oh no he didn't!"

Yeah, from that point on, "innocent until proven guilty" went out the window for me. It's not a particularly great reflection on me, I think, but I'll be the first to admit that I do a little bit of judging of a person based on their grammar and ability to articulate. It's not the sole basis for my opinions, but it weighs in, especially if the only thing I know about you is what you write. And when I read Montalvo's words, that was it. The end. Game over. What sort of Library Director talks like that?

Here's the uncomfortable truth: Public Library employees are government workers. They serve cities, counties, states, or special districts, and they are public servants. Not only do we serve the public, but we represent our government entity. I'm a bit of an unconventional patriot, but a patriot nonetheless, and I feel that there should be a great deal of honor and pride invested in being a government employee. It's an opportunity to serve the country, serve humanity, and do a part in forming "a more perfect union" and a better humanity.

And instead, government employees are loathed. We're laughed at, mocked, disrespected, thought ill of, regarded as corrupt, indifferent, incompetent, overpaid, and a bureaucratic sack of flesh and air. We should be proud to be government employees, and we should be doing all we can to bring approbation to our employers and success to our constituents. We should be worthy of the tax dollars spent on us, we should leave people thinking "Hey! They really DO deserve those pensions!" (Because let's face it, folks, cops and teachers and librarians and prosecuting attorneys don't go into our respective lines of work for the fame, glory, and riches. It's hard enough keeping body and soul together on our salaries; forget about making substantial investments to retirement. Is a decent pension really so unreasonable a reward for those who choose to dedicate their lives to serving a demanding public?)

In this economic climate, when libraries and schools are fighting tooth and nail for every cent they can come across, it's more important than ever for government employees to present a positive image to the country. We hold our presidents and politicians to a very high standard of behavior, and perhaps we, as government employees, should think about adopting those similar standards.

And learn how to talk correctly, too.

Work on Wednesday: An Explanation

I will go through my life a childless woman.

Please don't think "Oh, no! How awful!" It's by my own choice that my life has taken that path. I've never been fond of children...or at least children that I do not know. (Which is most children). As I so delicately phrased it once, "Someone forgot to wind up my biological clock." I wasn't going to let children be the "deal-breaker" of a relationship; if my life partner wanted one, fine, I'd pop out a couple and probably make a dang fine parent. Strict, no doubt, but affectionate and involved. However, if left to my own devices, if I had my druthers, I would choose not to bear children. Apart from the not-really-wanting them, there's the whole issue of rearing them. Rearing children is a brave act in the current world, and I admire every parent who turns out a good kid. I believe that a child benefits from a stay-at-home parent (not necessarily mother) and I would have liked to be that parent, at least until they started elementary school. Anything else would be not cool, as far as I'm concerned, but still--how do parents manage to make a single-income household happen? It boggles.

One of the many points of compatibility between me and Himself is our mutual goals with regards to children: not having them. Or, in his case, not having any more. He has two sons already, one fully-grown (Himself is ten years older than me, and got started with the baby-making very early, which means I was still playing with my Barbie dolls while he was...well...playing with his Barbie doll), and that's quite enough.

So, no children. I have an unofficial godchild in Wesley the Hoosier Dude, and a more handsome bairn there never was. And I have my stepsons. And that's it. And everyone is more than happy with this. I have other things, other interests, other desires; and more than that, I have my career.

A career and a child are not mutually exclusive. Nor are they particularly comparable (apples and oranges, actually). But my career is where a HUGE portion of my energy is focused, and so it only seems fair that my blog focuses on it, at least a little, in the same way that some of the blogs that I read focus at least some on their children. My career is not the only thing that defines me, but it is one of the things. And it's a major point within this blog to explore how I can successfully combine the identities of "career girl" and "home manager."

So, there's that.

Fortunately, I love my career. I'm an adult services librarian, which sounds much naughty than it is. Essentially, I'm an information mistress, a book maven, and a ditch-digging data dude. I work with the public, I get paid to be curious and research, I have a wide variety of duties, and I am constantly exposed to more, more, more information. I get to learn new stuff all the time. I love my bosses (and there are quite a few of them), and I love my colleagues.

In short, in choosing to be a librarian, I chose to spend a good deal of my life in Heaven on Earth--which should hopefully make for some interesting reading when it comes to Work on Wednesdays!