The good, the bad, and fun vs. learning opportunities

My previous post was pretty grim: it was all about feeling worn out and beaten down by this strike. Well, I'm sure we've all had some really dark moments since this all began. There have been a few setbacks that hit me pretty hard, and I've felt disillusioned and bewildered quite a few times. But fortunately I always feel better pretty quickly, and this is mostly thanks to the caring and intelligent people next to me on the picket lines. Every bad period has been balanced out by something just as good, or at least good enough.

But along with the alternating waves of depression and elation (or at least resignation) there is a lot of anger. I've seen some of my friends and picket-line-mates get damned angry, at management, or our own union, or the situation itself. I tend to do the latter, because it seems to me that the better you know the individuals, the harder it is to blame them. I really like the manager I report to, and I really liked the managers I reported to before her. I also like the members of our union's bargaining team. In a way this makes things harder, because I have to resist my instinct to see everything as their fault. But in a way it makes things easier, because I can't expect any of these people to be any more perfect than I am, and I know that I would be handling things pretty badly if I were in any of their positions. (Okay, *really* badly!)

As someone once told me, what this world needs is "more fun, less learning opportunities." I am going to get this tattooed somewhere, but--looking on the bright side once more--here are some lessons I really have learned and that I'm going to take out into the world with me when this is all over:

--It is always possible to act with grace, compassion, and dignity, even under the toughest circumstances. (Our leader in this strike demonstrates this every day. Who knew that anyone could run a strike like this?)

--People are who they are. The generous, caring people you work with are the same people who will help you out during the strike, whether it's by bringing in food, cheering you up with a funny story, or helping you find a job on the side. The natural leaders at work are the natural leaders on the picket line, taking on extra tasks and inspiring other people with their ideas. (On the other hand, those few people who do as little as they possibly can at work have been doing just the same thing on the picket line. And I remember I used to think that it might be the worksite's responsibility, somehow, when workers were that unhappy.)

--Library workers are truly great people: committed, passionate, idealistic, and generous. I've been able to spend my days with colleagues I never met before, or barely knew, or used to know but hadn't seen lately, as well as my old friends. We've been able to talk, and laugh, and just plain bitch, for hours. If you have to be on strike, these are the people to do it with.

--Library users are truly great people. Talking to our public on the picket line reminds me of all the reasons I got into this profession. They like what we do. They like us. We are not forgotten.