Student Snippets A Window Into The Daily Life & Thoughts of SLIS Students

Introducing — Amanda Pizzollo — A New Blogger for Simmons SLIS

So, I’m coming up on my 10 year nurse-a-versary. Yup, it’s almost been 10 years since I took my boards and got my first job as a nurse. What? Oh, this is a blog about librarianing you say?
I know, I know. I’m getting there. I’ve been getting, there, in fact, since I started training to be a nurse. Well, getting here that is, and by here I mean the library world. I loved nursing, don’t get me wrong, but it wasn’t what I would have chosen in college if it weren’t for outside pressures and a certain measure of indecisiveness. Don’t worry, I used to be indecisive, but now I’m not. I don’t think. Well, maybeeee…
No really. I’m very sure about this whole library thing. But being a nurse is still a big part of my life, and a big part of who I am. As much as I try not to, I somehow end up telling people in library school that I’m also a nurse within about 2 minutes of conversation. It’s just automatic. Unfortunately, the response from that person is also pretty automatic. It’s known as (to me only, mind you) the question. You probably guessed it, but the question, is along the lines of: “so, why did you want stop being a nurse and be a librarian instead?”
In response to the question, I’ll usually proceed to fumble out something nonsensical. I will either give them way too much info, or way too little. But, today, I finally figured out how to respond. Let’s look back:
      Me: “blah, blah, blah, I was a nurse!”
      Other library person I’m meeting at school for the first time: “the question”
      Me: *light shines down upon me from the sky in a moment of transcendent clarity* 
      “Well, have you ever had a romantic relationship where you broke up with someone even though they’re really nice to you and you like them as a friend?” 
      Other person: “No.” 
      Me:”Oh. Well, anyway,, uh…” *brings forth normal weird, clumsy response*
 
Yea, so that was a disaster, but for a minute I really thought I had it figured out. Anyway, there’s lots of reasons I’m a career changer, but there’s not one really clear, easy reason to lay out during small talk. Mostly- it’s just a feeling thing. Lucky for me, though, I didn’t have to tell nursing I wanted to “just be friends.” That would have been totally awkward.