Urban Poly Princess

This morning I set my alarm for 9am so I'd be on time for my interview with Robert, the Director of the Logan Public Library. I enjoyed what he said. He told me he was painfully shy and that it wasn't until his mission to Denmark that this changed. He's been a public library director for over 22 years beginning first with Mohavi Community College in Arizona after which he became the local public library director. He served as the Arizona Library Association President too.

Richard Clement the USU Dean of Libraries was just as kind and interesting although his outlook on leadership is completely different. I'm so glad I selected this as my topic because speaking to these people has been so rewarding to me personally. That's why you should never write about anything you're not passionate about. That is drudgery.

I like Robert's attitude the best so far. He loves libraries, is aware of the pivotal role they play in society and of what they can do for a community. He told me he forces himself to attend committee meetings and to get involved because he knows this will help his library best. He wanted to serve his community more which is why he became a library director.

When I came home from my interview with Robert I couldn't stop thinking about how lucky I am to have ended up doing exactly what I love. I was so sure I'd be an attorney. Life took many twists and turns until I ended up here. I majored in English after my mission because I hated that my friends who hadn't served missions were now done with their Bachelor degrees. English has always been my easiest subject. I didn't even know English majors took different classes requiring them to read and analyze novels and poetry. After my mission I just wanted something quick and easy that would allow me to finish my BA quick so I could go to law school. My dancing/playing years before my mission did not leave me with impressive grades before my mission. I knew for a long time I wanted to go to law school. Before my mission I volunteered as a court orientation guide. I took classes of elementary school children on a tour of Honolulu county courts and then to sit in on a trial. The volunteer office asked me if I wanted to work for them so eventually I did both.

After my mission I went back to the same Volunteers in Public Service to the Courts Office and this time volunteered at the Supreme Court. It is the building in Hawaii Five 0 with the statue of King Kamehameha in the front. It was fun meeting judges and attorneys. They only convinced me more that this was what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.

Since my grades were not great before my mission I decided to attend the University of Utah, get a MPA or Master of Public Administration degree before applying for law school. They had a double MPA/JD program where many of the classes were sufficient for both. I'm not an idiot. I planned to take those classes that qualify in both programs, do extremely well and get the instructors to recommend me for law school after a year-in time for me to finish both degrees.

So since high school I've been convinced I'm going to be an attorney. I did not apply to the MPA program before moving to Utah. I lived with my cousin first then applied to school and talked to people in person who handle admissions. I don't doubt my ability to work any situation to my advantage but it usually is better when you can look into their eyes.

So I'm in the MPA program and I make sure I take constitutional law and administrative law along with two other MPA courses. I HAAATE both law courses and am wondering what the hell I'm supposed to do now that my grand scheme isn't going to be a grande scheme.

So I go home and try to figure out what the hell I want to do with the rest of my life. I take film and tv acting classes at the University of Hawaii and begin to work as a tutor at 2 different Korean Hogwans or learning centers common throughout Korea. I also work at a make up counter and begin my make up obsession. Later I become a lei greeter for a tour package hosting company. My BA in English doesn't qualify for anything I want to do and there is no way in hell I'm becoming a teacher although they make more money than the crap I'm making. Oh yeah I did make some money editing things for people at a company that would pay me $25 an hour. They consistently had me doing more writing for these mostly Asian students who were in Hawaii attending graduate school. I quit because it felt shadier and shadier-you could buy papers from that company.

I'm sick of Hawaii so I FINALLY plan to get another undergraduate degree in broadcast journalism at the University of Utah. I begin this but while working at Salt Lake County children's shelter I keep seeing these library management jobs posted at over 60,000 but with the MLS requirement. I find out about this and decide to stop the broadcast journalism thing to do it because I'm getting old and I need a master degree.

It wasn't until I began working in libraries that I started to catch the vision of librarianship. I always felt bad in school before this because I didn't have that passion many of my classmates had. I'm grateful I ended up here by accident however because I really love it and I don't think a lot of people can say that.

I finished my Korean Drama series Dream High. There are some fine Korean men out there. It is so dramatic and I cried like an idiot all over the place. It reminds me of Bollywood only they don't suddenly burst into song or start dancing. 1st day of my vacation is glorious!!! Jim Cooper emailed me. He is an extremely successful Director of the Salt Lake County Library System.