After yesterday's noisy, high-traffic (vehicles, not pedestrians!) picket location, today I decided to go back to the relatively idyllic library branch where I spent Monday and Tuesday. Quiet! Benches! Shade! The friendly presence of our fellow picketers from the community centre!
There were about twenty of us. Mostly we settled into routines that are quickly becoming familiar. One especially industrious (and generous) librarian brought a big Rubbermaid container full of craft supplies. People did knitting and even mending. A friend of mine brought the (very serious) Penguin Classic she's been working on reading, but was easily distracted by the Bust magazine I had in my bag. As for me, I unfolded my little wooden chair and brought out my guitar. I didn't do any workers' anthems this time, but only played quietly for myself. It just felt like that kind of day.
Certainly we are making the best of things, but today the mood felt a little darker. Bargaining is going slowly and we can't pretend we'll be back at work in a day or two. I heard little clusters of picketers around me making bleak comments about the process so far. I made a few myself.
One of the tired old jokes about librarians is that managing us is like herding cats. We like to think of ourselves as independent thinkers, as individuals. We're also pretty enthusiastic about collaboration--as active participants, I should add. Passively waiting for someone else to decide our fate isn't easy. (Okay, I acknowledge that it's not easy for anyone.) I'm also having a lot of trouble with the whole concept of collective bargaining as it seems to be happening. Silly and counterproductive as I know it sounds, I wish I could walk into the secret location where these meetings are and actually say and do something.
In the elaborate fantasy I've constructed, I go in there and somehow get everyone sitting at the table, and my gentle presence gets everyone feeling calm, and I manage to solicit everybody's real issues and interests and write them up on a whiteboard. The next thing we know, everyone is being honest about what they really want and what will work and what won't. We figure everything out, come to agreements that work for everyone, and then give a triumphant press conference. (Naturally there will be champagne, or at least a couple of beers, after.)
Yes, odd thoughts do come to me when I'm out in the sun for too long.
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