Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Characters at the library

This past weekend at the library was crazy. I think the entire town of Winchester decided to show up--maybe it was their New Year's resolutions to use the library more or something--I've never seen anything like it.
A broad cross-section of the population uses the library, which means you see people from all walks of life, including some eccentrics. I've already met one, a cantankerous older lady who starts talking at you from twenty feet away and doesn't let up until 10, 20 minutes later when she gets fed up with you and leaves. When you first meet her, you think she's mad at everything, but then realize that's (mostly) just her way of talking.
She's very opinionated and insistent. She spent 10 minutes one day preaching at me about how I needed to get a digital TV before 2009--she was quite adamant I needed to get one NOW. She calls the library frequently, sometimes just to let us know that bread and orange juice are cheaper at Kroger. The other day, she told me "it's all going down," due to the new governor, whom she hates with a passion.
On Saturday I met another eccentric, a man who appears to be suffering from numerous mental disorders, including schizophrenia. I didn't realize this at first, just thought he was extremely nervous and frustrated over his email account. That guy got me so confused over exactly what he wanted me to do. Every time I would repeat what he told me, he would change it ever so slightly. The situation was like a gordian knot--you couldn't see how it began, nor how it was going to end. He also got way off tangent by telling me part of his life story, and how there were people out to get him, etc. etc.
The library director rescued me and spent another hour with him, calming him down. She told me later that I did just fine, but since I was a new face at the library, he was nervous.
Another day at the library!

1 comment:

d-wain said...

i chuckle at your stories