This morning I woke up feeling constipated. I know lots of people have this problem when they’re away from home and routine...and fiber. But mine is not the usual form of irregularity. Here’s what I mean:
My friend Leena is a kindred spirit. She understands what the 3 R’s are: reading, writing, and running. In describing the highs and lows of the 3-R Life as our camp speaker the other day, Leena confessed that she nearly abandoned it for a “day job.” Following a series of disappointments in her publishing endeavors, she had decided to put in for a post at her local library. “For a person who loves books,” she rationalized, “what better place to work?” But midway through the interview process, when Leena’s chances for landing the library gig looked good, she started to twitch. She couldn’t figure out why…at first. What could possibly be bad about being around books all day, every day? It was the “all day, every day” bit. How could she possibly write (or even read, for that matter) if she was filling the hours with…well, “book management”—or whatever it is that librarians do all day, every day? And the prospect of not writing felt like the prospect of not breathing, Leena said. I understood.
For me, it’s the constipation sensation. I process life through my pen (or my keyboard). When I can’t find time to write, I start to feel…backed up. Leave it to Leena to come up with a far more poetic analogy. I’d say she’s less punchy than I am, except she used the word “fart” in the camp tabernacle the next day. Right up front! Like, where the preacher stands. Gosh, I love that lady!
Photo: Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn as Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady (1964). Meaning: You know you’ve got a problem when the words of the lullaby/love song “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Your Face” come to mind as you pine for your computer at camp.
6 comments:
I love you because you make me laugh out loud! There are only a hand full of people in my life that I treasure for this reason!
Crying laughing. Well written!
Amen, sister!!!
No one else can write about constipation with such grace.
Well, I wondered about your not coming up with a blog sooner--it was the 3-B's--busy-ness, bravery, and back-up.
Love, Mom
Silly woman! LOL
Well, I have to defend my profession of librarianship/information specialist. It is not that the written word surrounds your work setting that excites a librarian; it is disseminating information to the public and organizing the information that keeps the blood coursing through a librarian's veins. Libraries have to manage their collection. That is why non-professionals are hired to shelf materials, paste labels, checkout materials, etc. Librarians are working on finding the appropriate materials for the collection and accessing digital information to share with the patrons who need it, among a zillion other aspects of the job. There definitely is no time to read or write for personal interests while working in a library! Or at any job; is there?
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