Your librarian is all verklempt

[nialla42]

If I dug around in my LJ long enough, I could find the entry to give you the history for this, but it would be locked, so I'll give you the relatively shorter unlocked version. With less f-bombs. Possibly

Comments

[spikedluv]

That's so great that you got to see her again! I love that she's found fanfic. *g*

[nialla42]

She's also reading eBooks too. Now that her library card is active, she won't have to acquire them through nefarious ways.

[aelfgyfu_mead]

I'm glad she's back! It's just sad that she has had to hide so much of herself for so long.

[nialla42]

I can't imagine going through 5+ years of that, plus knowing any further family interactions after I turn 18 aren't going to be much of an improvement.

She does seem to have a good network of supportive nerd friends, so there is that to lean on. Found family is sometimes better in the long run.

[archersangel]

i think i recall this situation/girl.

[nialla42]

Probably because I did an epic rant about it. :)

What's weird is I was once relating this story to a library teen who is allowed to help out behind the desk. I leave out names and identifying details when I'm telling such stories, yet she immediately knew who it was because she knows the girls and the parental situation and nobody else has it quite that bad. I was so shocked by her guessing so easily that my reaction gave away that she was correct.

[superbadgirl]

As someone who grew up in a pretty controlled bubble, I'm confused at the people who never get out once they are exposed to different things. I'm glad this girl has found a way to survive until she can be herself without fearing the wrath of parents who sound, frankly, as if they haven't got a firm enough grip on reality to realize they are the monsters and sinners in this story.

[nialla42]

When I see Christians like this, I always think of the quote from Gandhi: "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."

I grew up in an extremely rural area long before the Internet allowed for an escape. I never physically escaped, but books let me escape mentally. That's part of what makes me work so hard to keep the library as an oasis for the kids who don't fit in anywhere else.

[daria234]

So true. Good for her, but boo on the parents.

But your passion is laudable.

[nialla42]

I guess I lucked out, because my parents rarely censored anything I read. My mother was the go to person on what I could buy, and she seemed to be of the opinion I'd either get it or not, and if I did, I already knew about it, so it was to late to shield me from it.

Lots of stuff went way over my head, and weirded me out when I reread it with more adult eyes and realized what I'd missed. But than I grew up in the 1970s/80s and parenting styles and issues were different then.