Thursday, August 22, 2013

You gotta love 'em

Oh, teenage boys - they can be so entertaining and infuriating at the same time! I had two of my own; they were an experience, each in their own way, so I am not entirely clueless. We get to see an incredible variety in the library, and it's funny how the same problems recur with each new group that comes along. All summer long we've been battling a few who are playing an (apparently) fascinating online game and don't want to stop at just one hour. We've been assuming they have managed to overcome the timing software and just play without being logged in, but I'm wondering if it's the game somehow interfering. They certainly aren't going to tell us if they get to play longer! We make sure they are logged in, shut down computers remotely when they've been around for hours, and it doesn't' seem to make any kind of impression. They keep coming back! Recently we've had a young man coming in without a shirt. He doesn't stay long, and it's amusing to see his "I'm so cool without my shirt" attitude. Since we live in a northern climate and fall is coming, this won't be a big problem for very long. But it seems to come up every summer. Then there are the transient musicians (and others) - they are an interesting group, usually with lots of baggage and looking slightly under-nourished. But, they are usually friendly, agreeable and grateful for being allowed to use the library. We always wonder what their individual stories are, and where they end up after passing through. The same is true for a lot of people we see regularly who just seem to vanish over time. Once in a while someone will come back after a time, and that's always fun. Then there are those who will never be coming back, and that's sad.

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