Sometimes, I don’t think I’m doing “enough” to combat this hellscape we live in.
I don’t volunteer consistently, I still occasionally consume problematic media, and I still have a Kindle Unlimited subscription.
But then I remember my work is literal resistance. I work in a library, a declining third space, where our entire motto is to provide things to the community for free.
Today, I had a little program called “Color Me Jazzy.” There was canvas painting, nonalcoholic wine, and jazz music.
I was honestly only expecting a few people to show up. Who wants to spend such a nice Saturday afternoon at the library? Well - almost 40 people did!
A couple of friends groups showed up and some folks that just wanted to get out of the house. Multiple people asked if I could do this monthly because there aren’t enough programs for adults. They enjoyed being able to just chill out at the library with their people.
And it reminded me: the work of librarians is important. Yeah, people joke and ask “do people even still use the library hahaha.” The answer is yes! People do. We are places for learning - through books, through databases, through programs. And the majority of it is free. We are also places to just be.
And in our society, where people are talking about commoditizing breathing, this shit matters.
Love love love the work I do.
