My how you've grown

Really Rosie Soundtrack / Carole King










One of my favorite people is J. She’s an older woman, by that I mean she is in her 70’s. For almost all her adult life she worked as an assistant in the Children’s Department of a nearby city library. A stern grandmotherly type, she developed stock lines over the years.



At the start of story time, she’d explained the importance of being quiet. When meeting a school group, she’d explain how she saw lots of children every day. But she wasn’t good with names. So if any of those listening to her at that moment saw her, say at the supermarket, they should come over and say hello, but not get upset if she didn’t remember their name. She’d remember them! When she did a favor for someone, she’d say, “Oh. Some day you’ll grow up to be rich and famous and then you give money to the library!”


Likewise, as all those little ones grew up and came back, sometimes with money, sometimes just to see her, she again had her stock lines.


“Oh my. Just look at you. You’ve grown up so tall! When was it I saw you last?”


Having been in her position for several decades, J. saw a lot of people pass through. Many staff changes, many growing students. She would confide, she didn’t really remember them all, but she always was friendly and always used the same patter.


One day, she noted a young man lurking in the children’s room. This was always something that one paid attention to: a single man was not typical. This young man was clearly wandering through, looking at the shelves. He had nodded and smiled at her when he passed, but she was talking with a child. When she finished and the young man was still present, she watched a few more minutes. Later she’d say, he just looked vaguely familiar.


With this in mind, she decided he must be one of those many youth coming back to his old haunts. Approaching him with a smile, she went into her usual speech.


“Hi. How are you. My you have grown up so tall. When was it I saw you last?”


The young man looked at her, smiled, blushed and replied. “Two days ago, at my interview. I’m the new Children’s Librarian, S.”


Fortunately S. had a great sense of humor and found the exchange as hilarious as every one else who hears it. J. has never forgiven herself.