A Day in My Life

On my About page, you can read about my education and journey with research, instruction, and libraries. I moved around a bit and continued that education and strengthened my skills by reading, publishing, presenting at national conferences, and networking with many different people. Such diversity out in this world! I knew that part, but I didn’t know I would one day actually live in places that encompassed such populations. Being able to spend time with those of various races, religions, culinary delights, languages, cultures, occupations, and more, changed my life.  I also had the opportunity to learn about differences in people that simply lived in a US state other than my own.

One of my favorite memories comes from the time I worked in the Presidential Library in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB).   A few men stopped in while touring the EEOB, and I gave them a short tour of the Library. They were from Massachusetts, and one was from Boston. The Bostonian, to me, had a very strong accent – an accent I had only heard on TV or in film (cue in Matt Damon).  We all talked and laughed together while also telling each other to shhhh . . . (I, too, can get too loud sometimes!)

As they were leaving, they were thanking me and we were shaking hands. The Bostonian asked me where I was from, and I told him, “South Boston, a small town in Southern Virginia.”

He replied, “I knew I heard that accent – I really like it.” And I responded, “Thank you.” And then I looked him straight in his eyes, smiled, and said, “Well, I’m not the only one in this room with an accent!” They roared in laughter as I followed them to the door with another “Shhhhh. . .!”