I Crushed It!

Three years ago my marriage fell apart, and no amount of counseling, shouting, or crying could put it back together again. Working with the marriage councilor, she talked about how important it was that I had something that was mine and mine alone, a personal goal or accomplishment to work towards. I had mentioned that I wanted to go back to school and continue my education. I began to seriously look at librarianship as that goal. It had nothing really to do with books, though I do like to read a lot; it was about information. It was a way to work with people without selling them something. It was about giving information, sharing knowledge, rediscovering that part of myself that was worthy and true. The part that had been slowly evaporating would be nurtured back to health.

The first year of school I was a zombie, but slowly it started to feel like it was all coming back together. I wrote a paper about homeless populations in the library, and realized what impact libraries can have on people’s lives. In the intervening years, between my personal library experiences and what I was seeing though the sharply focused lens of grad school, libraries have become community centers, places to teach, learn, and inform — not just in person, but with a defined web presence as well.

Having completed my master’s degree last week, I feel a sense of relief and awe that I actually did it! With so much of my life coming apart at the seams, figuratively and literally (menopause is a bitch), I’m proud of myself. And as the kids are saying these days, “I crushed it!”