A Life-Saving Librarian

The snow was coming down so hard we couldn't see more than an inch in front of our noses. We were totally lost and didn't know which way to go. We were beginning to get scared and looked to him for guidance.........No, wait. That was Jack London's "Call of the Wild".

Bullets were flying everywhere as we landed on the beach. My comrades were dropping around me like flies. It seemed all was lost and I was ready to give up, when he showed up and showed me the way out of this mess, saving my life.......No, no. That was the beginning of "Saving Private Ryan".

We were in the library at UCF, starring blankly at our computer screens, downloading article after article, fighting indecision over whether it was a practioner's point-of-view or a researcher's researchable study. And just when we thought we had finally discovered what we were looking for, we couldn't access it. Why God? Why have you forsaken me in my greatest hour of need? You know I'm going insane. And then he was there to help.............Yes, Yes! This is the scene, the true and real life-threatening scenario of our experience.

My classmates and I were in the library this week trying to put together the literature review for our thesis. Our slave-driving captain, Dr. Dixon, was pushing us to our limits with, "Well, do YOU think that is what you're looking for?" responses to our begging requests for help.

All this thinking for ourselves at higher levels can challenge any grad student. And that night I felt like we were in a blinding blizzard, a blasphemous battle on the beach. It was all too much, too much, until.......

Richard Gause, UCF's Reference and Government Document Librarian Specialist. Evidently a wizard on loan from a faraway magical place, in less than 30 seconds this man was able to access a document I had spent thirty minutes on trying to do the same.

"How did you do that?", I meekly muttered.

"Twenty-two years of experience", came his humble reply.

Thank you Mr. Gause. For myself and all my classmates who quickly began to ask for you to save them after they saw you save me, your talents and knowledge are greatly appreciated. You saved an entire platoon. You deserve a medal.

And I'm joking about Dr. Dixon. Not about the the intense challenge to think for ourselves at the highest levels of thought. But she really did help us, and even has changed the way many of us teach. She deserves a medal too. We're probably one of the more rambunctious group of scholars to come through the Lockheed Martin Academy.

One is All it Takes - Take Two

Due to the kind and insightful comment from a reader I have changed part of the original post. See the part highlighted in green below..

I only have one son, and this one son has turned out to be as wonderful as having ten. I can't explain it, and believe it or not, I can't put into words how much I knew I would love him as I watched him grow inside his mother's belly. It's as if we've been together many lifetimes before this one; the sense of peace and camaraderie is so soothing to my soul.

This morning while at his sister's cheer banquet we raced to see who could find the most words on the word search. One is all it takes to find happiness, find fun, find new memories to make, one moment at a time.

*Last night I took a break from writing my paper for grad school by laying down with him for a quick second. He was lying in my bed and wanted me to watch a movie with him. I asked him what I should do about the promise I made to my professor to have my already-late paper done the night before (baseball games Friday night and Saturday morning, who-knows-what that afternoon but we did it together).

He said "OK". I asked him if he knew he was more important to me than getting my masters (which is VERY important to me). He said he did know. I said "really? Do you really know that?" He took my face in his hands and said "Yes, Dad, I really know that." He wrapped his arms around my neck, told me he loved me, then said "Now get back to work" as he patted me on the back.

It took me until 3am to finish but at least I know my son knows how important he is to me, and is not spoiled by it or takes it for granted (which is what women seem to do. The more you cover them in love the more spoiled they become.....another story but an answer to why I'm still single). ***Thanks to the comment of a reader I have already changed this declaration to a much more positive and empowering: "which is what SOME women seem to do". Who knows? Perhaps this is what I needed to learn to trust again? (CLICK HERE to go to the original post and read the "comments" to see why I've changed my thinking on this).

"When we are young and covered in love, we completely believe we are gifts from above." - Me (from "The Artist in You". CLICK HERE to read it.

One is All it Takes

I only have one son, and this one son has turned out to be as wonderful as having ten. I can't explain it, and believe it or not, I can't put into words how much I knew I would love him as I watched him grow inside his mother's belly. It's as if we've been together many lifetimes before this one; the sense of peace and camaraderie is so soothing to my soul.


This morning while at his sister's cheer banquet we raced to see who could find the most words on the word search. One is all it takes to find happiness, find fun, find new memories to make, one moment at a time.

*Last night I took a break from writing my paper for grad school by laying down with him for a quick second. He was lying in my bed and wanted me to watch a movie with him. I asked him what I should do about the promise I made to my professor to have my already-late paper done the night before (baseball games Friday night and Saturday morning, who-knows-what that afternoon but we did it together).

He said "OK". I asked him if he knew he was more important to me than getting my masters (which is VERY important to me). He said he did know. I said "really? Do you really know that?" He took my face in his hands and said "Yes, Dad, I really know that." He wrapped his arms around my neck, told me he loved me, then said "Now get back to work" as he patted me on the back.

It took me until 3am to finish but at least I know my son knows how important he is to me, and is not spoiled by it or takes it for granted (which is what women seem to do. The more you cover them in love the more spoiled they become.....another story but an answer to why I'm still single).

"When we are young and covered in love, we completely believe we are gifts from above." - Me (from "The Artist in You". Click here to read it.