On the Pleasure of Finding a Home

I was talking with an old friend the other day about the difficulties of raising really intelligent, independent-thinking children in America. The reason I specify America, is that part of the conversation revolved around the fact that our sons have both found it much more comfortable to be with exchange students, people from other cultures. That led the conversation to how painful it was to BE an intelligent, independent-thinking child, youth (or even, adult!) in America! My friend was punished as a child for asking questions in school. Can you imagine! Not for being rude or speaking out in class, but for asking questions, she was made to stand in the hallway. I had teachers like that, though I guess Ilearned quicker than my friend, to keep my yawp shut.

Not to dwell on the painful past, I want to speak of the pleasure of finding a group of people who actually celebrate learning new stuff every day! Coming from that background, there has been such a sweetness in finding a home in librarianship, which absolutely welcomes all sorts of people, square pegs, round pegs, dodecahedron pegs! And that this community is comfortable with smart people, with people of middlin' ability who try really hard, and even with people who ain't so smart but want to be part of the group. I treasure that inclusiveness, and comfort! There are a lot of people in librarianship who are smarter than I am. There are a lot of people wiser than I am. The profession is such a nourishing, welcoming place. I have been so blessed to have stumbled in!

Thank you.