Awake On My Airplane, Awake On My Airplane
As the three many regular readers of this blog know, I spent four years working for the Gates Foundation US Library Program in a previous life. During those years, I traveled all over the country and worked with a lot of cool people, many of whom remain friends of mine to this day. One of those friends is the infamous Libraryman, with whom I split an apartment in 2001-02. MP was an unusual roommate (mostly due to his Ibogaine addiction, horrendous personal odor, and propensity towards dancing around the living room in his underwear while singing along to Prince) but in general, he’s a pretty good egg, and someone I’m glad to call a friend.
Anyhoo, MP recently mentioned that strangers from the internets occasionally contact him for information about working for the Gates Foundation. Included in his post was a link to his old BMGF travel pictures. As I clicked through the pics (some of which feature me) I was hit by a sudden, entirely unexpected wave of nostalgia for the good ol’ days of the Library Program. Hopping on planes every two weeks, heading off to some new state, new town, living out of a suitcase…after four years of this lifestyle, the novelty had worn off and it became a drag, but for awhile there, it was the most incredible job. I got the opportunity to see places I’d never have seen otherwise, and probably never will again.
The nostalgia was so strong that it sent me scurrying to the Wayback Machine, where I eventually dug up this post, written on my old, now-defunct blog back when the Library Program was winding down. While I cringe at the maudlin, overly sentimental tone of the post, the almost four years that have passed since I wrote it haven’t changed my opinion towards its basic point: namely, that it’s great to feel that you were part of something important.
And then, of course, I had to check out my Flickr page to see how many of my own travel pics I had posted there over the years. Closer inspection, however, quickly revealed a major stylistic difference between the photography of MP and my own: namely, that he took full advantage of this travels to take pictures of scenery and libraries and friends, while I spent most of my time on the road indulging my obsession with Silly Road Signs.
See, you spend all this time trying to look like you worship some unholy power, but under all the glowering and black leather, you are a big ‘ole teddy bear.
And your silly sign picture collection is the true legacy of the BMGF US Lib program. At least from a comedic standpoint (and after a few years of time more on the road than off, humor was a godsend).
btw, I’ll be in ME for the big day, my Libraryland brother.
April 2nd, 2007 at 12:52 am[...] know, as time goes by, it’s getting harder and harder to reconcile the sense of pride and accomplishment I feel for my time at the Gates Foundation Library Program with the profound loathing I feel for [...]
May 21st, 2007 at 10:05 pm