The humility of a job like this

One of the things I love about working in a library is that I get to do an awful lot of things I’m really good at. I’m as good at showing up on time as anybody I’ve ever met, and I’m a quick hand at learning new database interfaces. I ask pretty good questions and I am a better than average listener. I’m something of a copy-machine-whisperer too–jams unjam themselves under my hands. I’ve been amply blessed. But I am humble too, and appreciate the chance this gig gives me to fail a little bit every day.

It turns out I’m terrible at making flyers. I lack aesthetic sense almost completely, and have about zero visual imagination. I raised my hand and volunteered for a relatively thankless task at yesterday’s meeting, something I think is always good to do but especially so when one is new in the office. Now I find myself struggling mightily in my efforts to make a clean quarter-page promotional flyer for our instant messenger rollout event next week. Any font other than Times New Roman looks funny and I’m-trying-too-hard to me, and I can’t figure out how to position images in ways that don’t match the template. My flyer looks pretty sad, though the alliteration is making me chuckle at myself–LOL with your librarians!, indeed.

What’s the library task that’s reminding you of your limits today?

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