SLA - special libraries association conference

So earlier this week was the special libraries association conference in Philadelphia. While I enjoyed the experience and feel that I learned alot about the various types of special libraries and the people, I found the entire process exhausting. It would start up at 8am and go on throughout the day, ending with happy hours and parties. It's a hard life being in the special library field. However, I do think that I learned alot about the field and successfully networked my bum off and get some good job search tips.

One of the nights, the happy hour was at a bowling alley. I had no idea that there were bowling alleys in the city only because that can be considered a "redneck" thing to do. I was even more surprised to find out that I'm competitive outside of playing games with my family. I found it disheartening to find out that I was the only person that took the game seriously. By that I mean I was the only one that cared whose turn it was and how we were doing. But at the same time, I got to met with people that are in my program that I had not met before, so that was neat.

Overall, I feel that the SLA conference helped me worked on my "small talk" skills with strangers- which might negate everything my mother taught me when I was younger.

Whisky

Well I thought it went down smooth. Yet

Hell thought otherwise

It came back up

Saturating me in liquid

Killing me by smell alone

Yet, I was satisfied.

Today's poem

From a old recent photo:

Four girls.

Same smile.

Each a daughter

a mother

a grandmother

a great-grandmother.

Unable to look directly into the camera

smiles beam

Proud.

Milestones

Disclaimer: I'm on my second drink of the night. I made them myself so they're pretty strong.

The other day I turned 25. I spent the day reflecting on where I am and where I thought I was going to be. To be honest, I'm not at all where I thought I would be. In school to be a librarian in Philadelphia? There are three things wrong with that previous sentence: school, librarian, and Philadelphia.

I figured I'd be in NYC or Seattle or Chicago either doing something within the publishing industry or a neat non-profit or making money off my writing. All longshots but 25 sounded so old I figured they were possible. Sadly, I was wrong on all accounts. I still feel like a teenager but not doing as much stupid shit. Though I have gained a decent amt of weight around my midsection to negate that previous statement.

So I decided my goal of being 25 was to try and write a poem (no matter how awful) every day and to work on speaking in large groups whether formal or informal.

Today's Poem:

Mortality is a funny thing.

Here one day

Gone the next

POOF

Like magic

But without the laugher

(bear with me, they're gonna suck for a long while)