Over the summer, I like to volunteer at the library to rack up hours for NHS or whatever thing in my future needs volunteer hours. Last year, my supervisor, Christina, didn't know what to do with me half the time so she just stuck me in circulation for most of the summer and left me to the ladies in circ. It turned out to be one of the best parts about that summer. They would give me a cart full of books that people from across town had put on hold and I would organize them onto the hold shelves alphabetically. It's tedious but strangely rewarding. I just disappear into my alphabatizing zone and everything else goes away. It's really relaxing.
Overtime I started to recognize the names of people that regularly put books on hold and you start to get to know them a little. And even if they don't regularly put books on hold, you can get this little glimpse into what they like to do or what they're like. This person loves to knit, he's just starting to figure out programming, that person has a penchant for Stephen King thillers, she's hosting a fourth of July party soon. It's funny when I see names of people I know in real life. It's really fascinating. And it feels satisfying to know that I'm accomplishing something useful. It was really awesome to meet all the ladies that worked there too. And they loved me too and gave me food and free books. :D
But this year, I walked into Christina's office the beginning of summer and she takes me to the front table and tells me to sign people up for the summer reading program at the library. Basically I just sit at the front table and log people into this program.
I'm really really bad at dealing with people I haven't met before ( and honestly just people in general) so I really hate calling people over when they walk in to ask them if they would like to sign up for the summer reading program. Confrontation is not my forte, especially when I have a stuttering problem that tends to arise when I get nervous. So instead, I just smile sweetly at whoever passes in front of me and hope that they're so charmed by me that they come over and ask to be registered...needless to say, that doesn't happen. Instead, they just kinda look around to make sure I'm smiling at them and then, if I'm lucky, they smile back.
And my work ethic while I'm in the library is too good for my own sanity. I feel guilty using the computer for anything other than what I'm supposed to be using it for, so I just end up reading my summer reading book and signing up all my friends (and fictional characters) without their permission. What a life.
The worst part is that from where I sit, I can see the circulation office where I used to work, so I just stare wistfully at the bustle back there and wave at Loretta, Jenny, and Irena and the rest of the ladies as I just sit there being useless.
It's not so terrible when people come to keep me company though, like usually my friend Udbhav comes before his shift starts and we hang out. Or like yesterday, when Julia and her family came to the library and she ended up coming over to my house afterwards for dinner and a Life marathon.
We went outside for a little bit before dinner to take pictures.
My television broke recently (FINALLY) and julia wanted us to sit on it.
Messing around with dried up leaves on my lawn.
This concept looked a lot nicer in my head. Bah.
I don't know if you can see the stars, but they're there, and there's a lot. One second exposure if you can believe it. I'm so doing this again some other day.
