“I missed
you, Mei-Wan” said Jennifer as the two of us passed the hallway exchanging our
“good morning” when I walked in the building; yesterday was my scheduled day
off. “I know.” But the thing Jennifer didn’t know about was when she said so my
heart was full and her saying made me teary. The message she sent was “Mei-Wan
is needed. Mei-Wan matters here at this branch library.” If everyone would be
just like Jennifer who is not shy or afraid to express how real she feels good
about someone, someone like me, the library would be like a big family, a place
we spend the most fruitful and the most precious golden 8 hours of the day,
then anything great could be made and happened, any hardships, challenges, or
difficulties would become valuable factors to the branch’s and the staff’s
achievements and successes. My philosophy for relationships is when someone
does something good to you don’t hesitate to express how grateful you become,
how good it feels, and don’t forget to return the same doing to the person and
sincerely say “I like what you just do to me. Thank you.”
Thank you,
Jennifer. You are great!
There were
many good things happened 15 minutes before we closed this evening. “It might
not be in your system but I would like to try my luck.” The lady said so to me
as I met her and asked “What can I do for you?” “The title is ‘The Lost Wife,
by…” I didn’t wait for her to finish her sentence as my fingers flew and danced
on the keyboard. “Uh huh..” I replied as I watched the screen and clicked icons
to see the results. “Wait. Tonight might be your lucky night.” I looked at her
as I stood up and left my seat hurrying to the adult fiction area. I jogged
with expectation and excitement; I also heard her footsteps following me.
“You got it!
Tonight is really my lucky night. Thank you.” “Would you like to try and use
the self-check out machine? We have two at this branch.” I talked as my hands
and fingers asking the machine to work for us. Oops! “You have some fine you
had better to clear and pay before you check out.” “No problem. Do I pay you?”
“Please follow me; I will take care of you.” At the circulation desk, Jennifer
was chatting with this gentleman. He looked at me with his enlarging eyes
“telling and asking” me “well, I know you, do you know me?” “You…huh, you are
the..” He didn’t wait for me to finish for he sensed my hesitation. What a
caring and understanding soul he is! He said “That’s right. You helped me the
other day with this exchange student.” Now I recognized him. “Yes!” Then I
faced back to the lady with a fine.
“It’s good
luck that I stopped by tonight and asked for the book. I don’t mind to pay the
fine for I consider it a contribution to the library.” “It’s Destiny.”
“Besheret.” Then she asked me: “Where do
you come from” “Taiwan .”
The lady stepped back and held her heart as if she was hit by a bolt of
thunder. “My 5th grade teacher used to teach us some system using a
chart. She came from Taiwan .”
“Destiny” “Besheret” Now I was curious about the word she repeated so I gave
her a piece of paper for her to write down that strange/new word for me. Here
is what she wrote down on that tiny paper:
“Besheret-means two souls that are destined to cross…I think
of it as our stars/souls crossing paths.” There were more on the back. It said:
“Kveling-used by parents or grandparents to children…a pride for that which you
created.” At the end she wrote her name and phone number. As we proceeded to
checked out her book I showed her my blog. Later I gave her my name card and
wrote down my blog’s site address for her. And I gave her 6 tea bags telling
her to savor tea while she reads my blog articles. “Sure do” with a smile.
Back to the
gentleman talking to Jennifer.
He showed us pictures he took the 6
days while the exchange student was staying with him and his family. In
addition showing him my blog I gave him 6 tea bags held in a plastic cup, the
same treat from me to the lady. By now the lady has a name: Sherri. As he
explained how a mooncake tasted like I playfully accused his absence of my
program for I was the person introducing him knowledge of mooncakes. “Come to
my next program. Better yet, become one of my program sponsors, will you?” He
smiled and told me he would like to read my blog first as I handed him my name
card. After hand shake and exchange of good evening, Sherri left with the
prize: the book titled “The Lost Wife.” Sherri also shook hand with the gentleman. I
couldn’t help myself but laugh; at that moment it felt like we were having a
hand-shake party this evening.
“May I have
your name in case I write a post about tonight?” I asked the gentleman. Instead
of writing down his name on the tiny paper I gave him, he gave me his name
card. Now he is somebody! “Kent .
Everybody calls me ‘Kent’.”
After
Lynette, our branch manager, helped Kent check out items through the
self-check out machine I walked him to the doors. “What do you listen to? I
asked as I browsed the CDs and DVDs held at his hand. He explained what they
are and why he checked them out. Further, he told me he listened to the CDs as
he commutes to work and on the way home. Our conversation didn’t stop after we
walked into the darkness. “When will be your usual work days and hours?” Kent asked me
as we pushed the doors out to the front. “Hardly did I take a day off for I
like to work here. Almost everyday” Now it’s my turn to satisfy my curiosity. “How
did you find time at this late hour to come to the library? You are a busy man
and you have a wife and two kids.” “Oh, I like the library and read books. I
come here quite often; usually on Saturdays.” Then we talked more about the
role the public library plays in a person’s life as we walked. “The public
library matters.” I said as I looked at him, a person who likes and appreciates
the services the public library provides.
“Good night
and don’t forget to stop by to say ‘Hi’ to me, ok?” “Sure do.”
Good luck?
Or destined? You tell me!!!
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