Rebellious, curious, hopeful, pissed off…and inspired

Welcome to the random thoughts of a GenX metalhead librarian...

To be honest with you, I am not sure where I fit. I was an only child raised by a single parent – a true latchkey kid. I found my solace in books and on the radio, because we couldn’t afford a TV. I bounced from sitter to sitter, learning the laws of the jungle from the various experiences I found myself in. My mom remarried in the mid-80’s, and that is when the rebellion started…but I’ll save all that for another time.

I am influenced by so many artists and writers – so many people have inspired me to do better, to be better, to dig deep. But many of my experiences are set to a soundtrack that is fading into the fog that was the 1980’s music scene…how can I explain that Motley Crue made a huge difference in my life? That I can sing every lyric to Operation Mindcrime with conviction? That seeing Guns N’ Roses on their first tour in 1988 – when I was 16 – is something I consider a historic event? Does anyone else feel like this? Is there anyone else out there my age who feels out of sorts in this baby-boomer world? Who wonders what the hell is going on in this country?

How does a girl from Ohio who loves music (the hard stuff, especially) and was destined for a small, safe, life, move to Los Angeles, work in the music industry, meet famous people and have fabulous adventures, and end up as a librarian in this desert college town? I’m hoping to explore these concepts in this forum. The intersection of serendipity, that is always where I find myself.

And you might ask, how are Music and Librarianship even related? Well, friends, in my world, it all began with Frank Zappa, Tipper Gore, and the concepts of the First Amendment…