The Unexpected Joy of Work
I just had to share:
High school student comes in to the library one night this week, a little breathless.
Girl: "This is going to sound so random."
Me: "Hit me."
Girl: "I need a biography about an American hero from before the 19th century."
I do the math on my fingers. "So, that leaves us...the 1700s, essentially?"
Girl: "Okay."
We walk back to Biography.
Me: "You're looking at the Founding Fathers. That's about it."
Girl: "Okay."
She's desperate.
Me, trying: "I mean, I'm trying to think of a woman. Maybe Betsy Ross... I don't know if we have one on Martha Washington...There's one on Abigail Adams... I could order something--"
Girl: "I need to read it tonight, so whatever's here and shortest."
Me: "Okay..."
We start pulling down books and looking at page count (and type size.)
Girl: "I read a book on Joan of Arc."
Me: "Really? That's...nice."
Girl: "Yeah. All 600 pages. Then I realized she's French."
Me: "?"
Girl: "You know, for this assignment."
Me: (thinking) It took you 600 pages to realize she wasn't getting on the Mayflower?
Me: (out loud) "I'm...sorry?"
Girl: "Me too."
Me: "Well, when you get to European History next year, you are so going to kick it."
Girl: "Yeah, tell that to my teacher tomorrow."
And then she laughed. At least she could laugh.
I laughed too. At her. (You know, on the inside.)
High school student comes in to the library one night this week, a little breathless.
Girl: "This is going to sound so random."
Me: "Hit me."
Girl: "I need a biography about an American hero from before the 19th century."
I do the math on my fingers. "So, that leaves us...the 1700s, essentially?"
Girl: "Okay."
We walk back to Biography.
Me: "You're looking at the Founding Fathers. That's about it."
Girl: "Okay."
She's desperate.
Me, trying: "I mean, I'm trying to think of a woman. Maybe Betsy Ross... I don't know if we have one on Martha Washington...There's one on Abigail Adams... I could order something--"
Girl: "I need to read it tonight, so whatever's here and shortest."
Me: "Okay..."
We start pulling down books and looking at page count (and type size.)
Girl: "I read a book on Joan of Arc."
Me: "Really? That's...nice."
Girl: "Yeah. All 600 pages. Then I realized she's French."
Me: "?"
Girl: "You know, for this assignment."
Me: (thinking) It took you 600 pages to realize she wasn't getting on the Mayflower?
Me: (out loud) "I'm...sorry?"
Girl: "Me too."
Me: "Well, when you get to European History next year, you are so going to kick it."
Girl: "Yeah, tell that to my teacher tomorrow."
And then she laughed. At least she could laugh.
I laughed too. At her. (You know, on the inside.)