It’s been a long day – kids and husband up during the night (James awake at 1:30am, Michael left for the office at 2:00am because he couldn’t sleep, and John up at 2:30am), James smearing chocolate all over my jeans, doctors appointment for both boys this morning including three nurses holding James down for four shots, James drooling grape lollipop all over my shirt, and racing back to hurriedly put kids down for naps in time to interview a professor via phone from Germany for my latest freelance writing assignment.
It’s funny how it’s the little things that get to you when you’re tired.
Like the lady at the public library who called to tell me this morning that I can’t get a book I requested through inner-library loan. The book was just released and a requested book has to be at least a year old before you can do an inner-library loan. Ok, that’s completely understandable. She could have stopped there. But she went on to say that she looked up the book to see if it was worth the library buying, and decided that it wasn’t because not enough people check out memoirs (ok, disappointing, but fine). And finally it didn’t sound like it was appropriate material for the library.
Huh?
She then proceeded to read me a portion of a negative review she found somewhere on the Internet that included the word “sex” or maybe “sexual misadventures.” Now I only know about this book from listening to an NPR Fresh Air interview with the author about the book, and I understood that he writes about the end of his wife’s life by contrasting it with the early days of their courtship and marriage. And it sounded like their sexual history was perhaps part of the recounting. However, it’s in the context of a whole relationship WHILE HIS WIFE IS DYING. As in “Hey, it was hot, but now I’m emptying her bedpan.” You know, that kind of porn.
I was left not knowing if I should feel judged or patronized. Either way, I’m seriously annoyed. And I’m getting the book from another library.
Marshins 
oh…my…god. I heard that Fresh Air interview too, and cannot even begin to fathom how any review might suggest that book was pornish. Bizarre.
Looking forward to hearing how you like the book, tho! And nice to meet your blog. :-)
Glad you found me!
I’m sure the librarian didn’t hear the NPR interview. I would think that the title of the book, A Happy Marriage, would at least add some sort of indication that maybe it wasn’t so bad.
around here, we call that type of day a “cluster eff”.
Haha!
Did you ask the lady if she had read Fahrenheit 451 lately? If I was teaching it this semester I would use your post but I’m not….darn…well kind of darn.
I’m sure you’ll teach again. :)
Rebekah, you dirty bird you!
I know. I’m a gutter-dweller.
Ha! I heard that interview, too, and was intrigued. That lady can come over to Barnes & Noble and see some REAL porn!
I was so taken aback that I couldn’t even argue with her.
I’m subscribing to your blog and putting it in a new category – “Just Smile.” Glad I found you on twitter & hope your parent night is fun. Your children are fortunate.
I’m glad you found me! Thanks for reading!