The Library, revisited
Last night I went to the library. I was picking up some books for my neice, who broke her ankle and loves books about witches. Well, when I got to the library, I found that they have begun a resoration project in the old wing, and have moved ALL the books from the adult part of the library over to the new children's wing. Absolutely CRAMMED it was, with books. Librarians all over, sorting and reshelving. I was walking slowly down the aisles to the back where the kids books are now, just looking at all the books, and marveling at it all, and mourning a bit for the old wing, which I LOVED!
As I came out into one of the clearings around the search computers one of the senior librarians walked out from between another set of bookshelves. Mark Pulham. He'd worked there ever since I could remember, and I've been patronizing that library for full on 20 years now. I remember going to see a christmas puppet show where he was one of the performers, and worked a puppet that was greedy and only said GIMME! He's also somewhat involved in the theatre community around here, working at the famous Hale Theatre. I remember seeing him in Into The Woods years ago, as the narrator, a part I've always wanted. Last year, in a visit to the library I ran into him in the children's section, and I asked him for help finding something or other. He did so, and then said that I seemed familiar to him. I said I'd been coming to that library my whole life, and he said no - had I been in any plays recently? I said he may have recognized me from Seussical or Damn Yankees, and he said that maybe that was it.
This time he I was looking at him as he came out from the stacks, and I saw recognition dawn on his face again - more recognition than I thought I could expect, really. He stopped and asked if he could help me find anything, and then explained what sort of remodeling was going on in the old wing. He showed me through the grown-up bookshelves, and said that everything was more or less in it's proper place, and would be in the new wing for about 6 months. Again, he said that if I needed help finding anything to not hesitate to ask him. I thanked him, and made my way to the back corner where the children's books were.
I found the author I was looking for, and was kneeling on all fours on the ground with my butt in the air, trying to read the titles on the bottom shelf, when Mark came back to where I was and said, "Oh, by the way..." I stood up quickly.
"I just wanted to say that I'm a lurker on Miriam's website, on Players Anonymous, and I see you around there occasionaly." I said oh, ok! and was thinking that he must know me as Mister Anonie, and follow my posts or something. Then I started running through all my recent posts, and trying to remember if I'd said anything embarassing or offensive lately. Mark said "Yeah. And I wanted to let you know I came across your photos..." I was thinking, which ones? "... the ones you took here in the library." Oh. OH! OH NO! I felt like my eyes bugged out of my head.
He said, "I recognized our statue and laughed. I showed it, well not to anyone else here at the library - well, one person, and showed her the picture of you in the pose of our statue. The rest of the pictures were very good too. Miriam's very talented. You looked really good. Keep 'em coming!" I said thank you, thank you very much, and smiled. Then he went back to what he was doing, and I went back to looking for my books.
But at the same time I was floored. GAH! Someone from real-life saw my naked pictures! And here I was having a face to face conversation with him! GAH AUGH! SCHNEE! And he said they were good, and to keep 'em coming. Oh. Oh my. Was he trying, in a subtle way, to let me know he bats for my team? Anyone who knows who I am on Players Anonymous can't HELP but know I'm gay - well, same goes for real life, too, but I mean... seriously. Makes me wonder.
Also, it was surreal to be recognized out in public. Heh heh.
As I came out into one of the clearings around the search computers one of the senior librarians walked out from between another set of bookshelves. Mark Pulham. He'd worked there ever since I could remember, and I've been patronizing that library for full on 20 years now. I remember going to see a christmas puppet show where he was one of the performers, and worked a puppet that was greedy and only said GIMME! He's also somewhat involved in the theatre community around here, working at the famous Hale Theatre. I remember seeing him in Into The Woods years ago, as the narrator, a part I've always wanted. Last year, in a visit to the library I ran into him in the children's section, and I asked him for help finding something or other. He did so, and then said that I seemed familiar to him. I said I'd been coming to that library my whole life, and he said no - had I been in any plays recently? I said he may have recognized me from Seussical or Damn Yankees, and he said that maybe that was it.
This time he I was looking at him as he came out from the stacks, and I saw recognition dawn on his face again - more recognition than I thought I could expect, really. He stopped and asked if he could help me find anything, and then explained what sort of remodeling was going on in the old wing. He showed me through the grown-up bookshelves, and said that everything was more or less in it's proper place, and would be in the new wing for about 6 months. Again, he said that if I needed help finding anything to not hesitate to ask him. I thanked him, and made my way to the back corner where the children's books were.
I found the author I was looking for, and was kneeling on all fours on the ground with my butt in the air, trying to read the titles on the bottom shelf, when Mark came back to where I was and said, "Oh, by the way..." I stood up quickly.
"I just wanted to say that I'm a lurker on Miriam's website, on Players Anonymous, and I see you around there occasionaly." I said oh, ok! and was thinking that he must know me as Mister Anonie, and follow my posts or something. Then I started running through all my recent posts, and trying to remember if I'd said anything embarassing or offensive lately. Mark said "Yeah. And I wanted to let you know I came across your photos..." I was thinking, which ones? "... the ones you took here in the library." Oh. OH! OH NO! I felt like my eyes bugged out of my head.
He said, "I recognized our statue and laughed. I showed it, well not to anyone else here at the library - well, one person, and showed her the picture of you in the pose of our statue. The rest of the pictures were very good too. Miriam's very talented. You looked really good. Keep 'em coming!" I said thank you, thank you very much, and smiled. Then he went back to what he was doing, and I went back to looking for my books.
But at the same time I was floored. GAH! Someone from real-life saw my naked pictures! And here I was having a face to face conversation with him! GAH AUGH! SCHNEE! And he said they were good, and to keep 'em coming. Oh. Oh my. Was he trying, in a subtle way, to let me know he bats for my team? Anyone who knows who I am on Players Anonymous can't HELP but know I'm gay - well, same goes for real life, too, but I mean... seriously. Makes me wonder.
Also, it was surreal to be recognized out in public. Heh heh.