Thing 2

I love being a librarian, it's a childhood dream come true. I was quite a wistful child, I was reared in the countryside as part of a large family where life was pretty basic, you helped with the chores, and you 'killed each other' while arguing over the two channels on your ancient TV.
There was one day that was sacrosanct though, Saturday how I loved thee, because right after 'Anything Goes' my Mum took me off  to the local library where I got to pick a massive bundle of books to keep me going until the next trip. I devoured them, I gobbled them word by word and fed my ravenous mind. The librarian was like an adoring Aunt who bestowed me with treats. She seemed to love my enthusiasm and would have a little pile of 'good ones' stashed behind the desk for me.
Through these books I was able to escape into excitement, magic, toadstools, fairies, living breathing toys, wardrobes that led to other worlds, ginger-ale and young detectives, boarding schools with rebellious and exotic gypsy girls.
I eventually read my way through the entire library and had to begin raiding my Mother's library of Barbara Bradford Taylor and Georgette Heyer, before delving into her Jeffrey Archers, I probably learnt way too much from them, and still remember the day Jilly Cooper's 'Riders' was snatched from my eager hands as I was almost finished a rather exciting scene.
Then I was old enough to get my fix from second hand shops, and friends, and once I went to college to study English the floodgates opened and I was suddenly taken to Paris and New York, to treks across the United States and walks through Dublin, into Drug fueled dazes in Africa and to the upper echelons of the English aristocracy.
Motherhood took me right back to the beginning, to Dr Seuss and all the beautifully illustrated books that had come onto the market, but Enid was incorporated too, I could never leave Enid out.
I moved to a new city and began working in the beautiful family owned bookshop in the main street, it was heaven, but it wasn't paying me enough to keep my young family secure,  and so I began to work in a college library. It kept the bills paid, but it was destroying my soul, I spent my days looking up building regulations and family law. Then one day I was sent to another campus, the art college, eureka. I was at home, I was surrounded by dreamers and doers, I applied for a post graduate in Librarianship as soon as I could, I had found my place and I was going to cement it.
I am still here and love every second of it.
My Mother told me she bumped into the librarian in our home town a few years ago, she remembered me and asked how I was, when my Mother told her I was a librarian she smiled and said 'Oh, how lovely, shur she was destined to be'.
Amen to that Mrs. McCarthy, and thank you for being inspirational.