Boomers Fail To Graduate To New Levels Of Understanding

Patron: “You must be new. Did you transfer here from another branch?”

Me: “Oh, no, I’ve only been working for the [Parish Library System] for three months. I didn’t work at any of the other branches before working at this one.”

Patron: “When’d you graduate from college?”

Me: “Um, about six years ago.”

Patron: “You know, I have a daughter. She went to college and graduated, but afterward, she moved back in with us and was still living with us until she was 29! She’d spend all day sitting on the couch, watching TV. I finally had to put my foot down. I told her she had to move out and get a job. She cried, but she did it, eventually. But I think younger people today are just so lazy. You can’t just wait years after graduating to get a job. That’s not how the real world works. So, why did you?”

Me: *Pause* “I didn’t. I had other jobs before this one. They just weren’t at the library.”

The patron looked surprised but didn’t apologize. He continued on with his lecture about how laziness was bad for another moment or so. I was glad when he finally left. I hate it when people don’t take the time to gather all the facts about me before lecturing me about something I didn’t even do.