My library career started 17 years ago. That’s when I enrolled in library school at Drexel University and found my people. I’ve had well over a thousand bright, kind, hard-working coworkers. I’ve had at least as many non-workplace colleagues, partners, mentors, and collaborators.
These are some of my favorite people. I could write hundreds of college admissions essay about why I want to have a meal with them. For a lot of them, why I want to have a meal with them again. And again and again.
Far too many of them are hurting. They’re taking breaks from conferences, committees, publishing, projects. The things we used to do together. The things I love to do with them.
It may be the times. The pandemic, bigotry, climate collapse, social media.
It may be our age. We’re sandwiched between kids and parents. Even the open-faced sandwiches among us have family responsibilities. Some of us have ailing spouses, siblings, and others who need us. We are repairing long neglected boundaries.
It may be natural law. I met a lot of my favorite people during their ascendance. Our reserves felt boundless. We were making our shared dreams tangible. We rubbed dirt on our disappointments and got back in the game.
We learned that you can’t rise forever, not at the same rate, not in libraries. The hurts accumulated. We started feeling attacked. Passed over. Ignored.
I felt those things. I’ve sounded that way.
My friends always brought me back from it. They made me feel protected, worthy, seen. I hope that’s something I can do for them.
I love you.
Welcome to June 2023’s Disappearing Moment, an inventory of my experiences. I hope you enjoy it.
On desktops and laptops, I like using two browsers at the same time, Firefox and Brave. Both are fast, secure, and beautiful.
Dyson vacuums handle with such grace they make a chore fun. The Hoover Commercial Shoulder Vac Pro is even more fun, plus it costs less.
Todd Coombs is one of Warren Buffett's two successors at Berkshire Hathaway. I respect his media aversion. I also appreciate Coombs's ideas and his story.
Thanks for spending a few moments with me. I look forward to corresponding again next month.
Brett