I am the library man-whore.
Librarians love to find and share information, it's their job. So it should come as no surprise that they love to gossip. A former coworker who transferred to Tech Ops stopped by the branch last week and told me that she heard that me and coworker/friend #2 were dating. She doesn't remember who told her, but she said it wasn't anyone from my branch. WTH, other branches are talking about me and my love life!?? This isn't the first time, I've been associated with a coworker/friend. My former coworker/friend #1 was also romantically linked to me and everyone secretly thought "it was cute." This went on unknown to me for a few months before I burst their bubble.
This hasn't happened at just this particular library system either, when I was working Sundays for the City my coworkers and supervisor thought I was dating another coworker/friend because we would take breaks together and hang out outside of work. Okay, I can kind of understand her because she was/is kind of flirty, but irregardless! And every time I visit my first branch, the first thing the ladies ask is, "are you still dating the same girl?" They've never met any of my past girlfriends, but yet it's always the first thing they say to me. Guess they've heard through the library grapevine that I get around. Thankfully, I've dodged any and all of their matchmaking attempts. It's actually pretty easy to do, I just change the subject to either 3 topics: grandchildren, cats, or sewing, or if I'm up for a challenge I ask about them sewing for their grandchildren.
I'm worried about what they say when they see me talking to my info BFF who's married. Actually, I'm worried about any female coworker who is seen talking to me, it's the whole guilty by association thing. My friends at work are taking bets on who my latest library conquest will be. I guess I shouldn't really complain, when I first started at this branch, a few coworkers later told me they thought I was gay because the way I dressed. Thanks for the compliment, I guess???
I know how you feel. Every time my best friend (obviously a dude, a gay one at that) would come into the library to see me, the ladies in my department would give me looks like why was I "flirting" with this guy while I have a boyfriend. They'd be like "Oh, that guy who came into see you is handsome..." One day I got fed up and I was like "Yeah, he is handsome. That is my best friend, he's gay. He likes boys. He actually has a boyfriend, who is equally as handsome. My boyfriend knows both of them."
ReplyDeleteIt's gonna keep happening. There are too many women in libraries. Amuse yourself.
Hahaha, thanks MISFIT, yeah, I've decided that I am going to reply to everyone who asks if the girl I was "flirting" with at the circ desk was my girlfriend, that I don't consider her my girlfriend now that we're engaged.
ReplyDeleteLet's see how long that tidbit will take to spread to the other branches!
Because the field is dominated by lots of older women who are often single or busybodies or both, this type of thing goes on frequently. When a certain patron used to come in and specifically request my help, everyone called him my boyfriend, even though I was still quite married at the time.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should change the subject to sewing for their grandchildrens' cats.
MISS SHUSHIE,
ReplyDeleteI'm saving that topic for when I'm being questioned about punching a patron in the face. Although I'm not quite sure if I haven't crossed that border already because for some coworkers their cats ARE their children.