The Girl Who Knocks
One of the regular visitors at the library where I work is The Girl Who Knocks. She seems bright, and has an interest in a wide range of topics, often asking us to request books from other libraries on odd subjects. However, she also has some quirks. The most obvious is her habit of loudly knocking on the counter when she arrives in order to get our attention, even when we are standing right there at the circulation computer next to the door. She also tends to speak rather loudly.
I don't think she is trying to be disruptive though, because she quickly adjusts her noise level when reminded she is in a library. Scuttlebutt around town is that her mother was (still is?) a drug addict. It's a possibility. Methamphetamine has been a plague in the region. Remember, kids, drugs are bad, and drugs are incredibly destructive to the unborn.
As a tangential note, meth wasn't ever a problem until prohibition laws and the escalating "war on drugs" drove relatively less-harmful drugs out of the market by driving up the cost. The market was also far less violent than was portrayed in popular media. My source is a former Californian drug dealer who was active during the 1970s and associated with several biker gangs and other drug organizations of the era. So while drugs are bad, government is worse.
That aside, it is possible that this rumor is just that - a rumor - and she may have some other odd mental condition. She's just not very good at reading social cues. It could be something on the lower end of the autism spectrum, for example. I'm no expert at diagnosing such things. At any rate, other than her rather obnoxious initial knock when she arrives, I don't mind her at all, and her constant requests for numerous books on diverse subjects are always welcome.
Previously:
Monster Boy and Horror Girl
The Mountain Man
The Deaf Ashtray
Library Urchins
An Odoriferous Library Intrusion and the sequel
Thank you for finally explaining The Girl Who Knocks! I'd been curious about her ever since you first mentioned her in a previous post.
As I recall, you were less interested in the frazzled mothers, but perhaps I will write about them anyway.
I'm sure that will also be interesting!
My credo, already expressed on another post : we are everyone and no one, because everyone is different and no one is perfect. Having said that, there seems to be mounting evidence that baby vaccines can cause various levels of autism, another unwanted 'gift' courtesy of our caring governments! Thank you for sharing; I am quite envious of your job, I would love to work in a library!
Just when I thought my comment was finished :)...
I went and had a look at a couple of your other posts, particularly the one about the comment sins, and I felt the need to add something in relation to that. I think parts of the Steemit concept is quite brilliant, the creation of a decentralised community that has no borders is such an altruistic gesture by the founders, which is also evident in many of the followers. Having said that, we are all different and not perfect, and new people will take some time to find their way, learning along the way, making mistakes, eventually not repeating the same mistakes, hopefully, all at different paces. For the more experienced community members, the well meaning but rather irritating comments must be abrasive after some repetition, but I think it would be nice to still appreciate the possibility of a good heart behind the comments, particularly in cases where English is not the mother language of the commenter. I know there are also intentional spammers so I guess it's a case of either treating all intentions as good, or taking the time to investigate whether the person is just 'in it for the money' and deserves a flag. Whichever way we choose, any assistance offered to guide, as with your post, is admirable and valued. So thank you. PS. Please don't follow me or upvote my comment...😆
YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME!!! DON'T TELL ME WHAT I CAN OR CAN'T DO!!! 😆
Hahahaha! Oooh, I'm glad you're not the librarian at our library, I'd be scared to take any books out! 😜
Nah, just be scared of not returning them in a timely fashion. 💀
There must be lots of little idiosyncrasies you notice in your readers,
it would help to pass the duty time wondering what and why they are the way they are.
I only tend to wonder about the outliers. The people who make an impression for better or worse, and the ones with the most apparent idiosyncrasies. Of course, since this is a small town, just about everyone is a character...
That is the joy of a small town, that and everybody knows all about their neighbours.
It is still better than being in a City.
To my mind, a town much larger than 40,000 is too large, and that's even pushing it a bit.
You would be right at home here with our 4,ooo if everybody is home.
We miss a few big stores but there are two Citys within a half an hour's drive away
Sounds like your town is about twice the size of where I currently live, then!
How I like your post and fine attitude to that knocking girl. I collect words and find a new one here: Scuttlebutt . Thanks for sharing. By the way have you seen my library?
https://steemit.com/esperanto/@johano/viglanta-vivo-en-malnovaj-muroj
NICE ONE BRO DEFINITELY GONNA FOLLOW U