The People who Impact our Lives

We all have those people who touch us in some significant way. We all have noticed that some stand out above others. Today I met one such person.

Admittedly I have people who support and impact me each and every day, but today was special. I was impacted by....friendly librarian boy.

Really. Yes. Friendly Librarian Boy...



Sadly I have no name to accompany him so my nickname shall have to suffice. All I can say is if you ever read this, Friendly Librarian Boy, thank you so much for your kindness. You checked my books on William Blake out at 10:30, Monday March 19, 2012...and in that you impacted me.

So, I'm sure it's easy to wonder...how in the world does a boy who checks out books impact someone's life in about a minutes time while sliding books under a scanner. Honestly?

Well, it was rather simple actually. I was exhausted, annoyed I had a huge eight page paper due Friday that I had yet to really start on. I was gathering a few more books to support my portrayal of the poet William Blake as a man dedicated to creating an image of the suffering child. Yes, sounds like fun doesn't it? Honestly it's the life of an English major. Get pile of books. Work through pile of books. Take notes. Sort out useless content. Synthesize into orderly paragraphs. Put paragraphs together. Revise. Edit. Repeat.

But I'm getting off topic.

I had spent near an hour wandering through the library, getting distracted by various books that looked interesting, even picking up a book by Charles Dickens on the history of England (I think I nearly fainted when I found out one of my favorite authors wrote a book on one of my favorite subjects...yes I am a nerd that way...ask me to list the kings and queens of England in order and I will do it for you by memory). With my books in hand, including my extra reading material, I trudged over to the desk, knowing I'd likely be up late working on my horrible paper. I sighed as I set the books down. And that's when he appeared.



Friendly librarian boy.

Well...man I suppose...(sorry friendly librarian...man).

Either way, FLM (as I shall call him from now on) came over with a large smile. He asked me how my night was going. I paused and looked up in confusion. It is not a common occurrence for people to ask how I'm doing. Close friends yes...but acquaintances and strangers are a definite no. I get asked when I'm at the grocery store and such by checkout people, but the question isn't asked in the manner FLM asked me. He asked like he wanted to know. Like he cared. I stared for a moment before responding with a standard "I'm doing good" (which is grammatically incorrect I know, but I get tired of being told what an English nerd I am). I thought for a moment before returning the question. Of course, being my first meeting with FLM I would have expected a standard answer like I'd given. Instead he beamed and said "It's getting better as it goes on". I smiled, pleasantly surprised that he was actually taking the time to think about his answer.

He picked up my books and asked me if I'd found what I needed. I told him I had and he seemed pleased. I watched as he took great care scanning and demagnitizing them. He took my receipt and gave it to me, telling me my due dates with a smile on his face. With a final grin he sent me on my way with a "have a goodnight!" I bid him the same before heading out the door.

Under normal circumstances FLM might have annoyed me to no end. I don't usually like having strangers talk to me. In fact it is almost a petpeeve of mine. Now yes, FLM was an attractive college-aged male working in the library (I swear if I find a boy sitting in the library reading Shakespeare I may demand he marry me on the spot), however, it wasn't just silly female hormones acting up. It was the fact that I was feeling worn out and run down and someone took the time to notice me, to appreciate me, even to try to help me. And all that from a stranger no less.



I have little doubt FLM has no idea what he has done. Or maybe he does...but in my opinion he was probably oblivious to the fact that he lifted a young woman's spirits. I hope one day I see him again and can thank him, but most likely he will go through the rest of his life without knowing.

It was simple really, so how did he impact me? He impacted me in showing me that we impact people each and every moment of our lives. He showed me that even in dealing with a person at the library for two minutes you can help or encourage someone. It gave me reason to be my best even around people I don't know. I hope one day I can do the same for someone.

FLM demonstrated a very important lesson about the importance of kindness, even to those we will never meet again. My father and friends often nag me to smile more. Admittedly I feel fake if I have a smile plastered on my face at all times, but I still could work on it a bit more. I remember years ago my father told me when I was being grumpy or something of that nature, that I should try harder because I was a witness for God each and every moment of my life. He quoted 1st Peter 3: 15-16

"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander."



If we spend our days focusing on ourselves and our problems we don't radiate the hope that people are supposed to notice in us. That's not to say Christians can't have moments when they feel down and aren't hopeful. We all have moments when things seem bad, but negativity is not an example Christ asks us to set. In 1st Timothy 4:12 it says:

"Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity."

Each and every day I have the chance to impact the people around me. I know that as I go throughout life I should make an effort, even amongst strangers. I am a light for Christ and in that I cannot let my guard down. I pray only that I would grow in my ability to be positive and uplifting to those around me.

Thank you Friendly Librarian Man. Thank you for showing me what I want to be.