As I got ready for the day, I listened to my public radio station as usual. On the wonderful adult story hour, the Moth, was a recording by a writer who had known Ernest Hemmingway. His name was A. E. Hotchner. Hemmingway called him Pecas, because of his freckles (and use of the nickname was fully developed).

     He told a very traditionally manly story about being invited to participate in a bullfight in Spain. He had been traveling with Hemmingway and got this opportunity because of a friend of Hemmingway, a matador. Pecas explained that, when you’re a freelance writer, and you get an opportunity like this, you take it. It was a colorful, cultural story, and had the advantage of having a first person narrator. And who knows when such an opportunity might present itself again?

     A few years ago I left a job that I loved, and that had worn me out. I worked in a public library in an underserved community. That job had given me a great sense of mission. It was a place where the “digital divide” was very evident, so the public library was a major resource for the community. It was also a neighborhood where community leaders had put a great deal of their energy and devotion into getting the children and youth educated, to provide a path out of poverty. The job consumed me, as I worked to anticipate and begin to provide for the needs of the citizens.

     I had made a mid-life career change to become a librarian. For most of my life, I had done bits of writing and had some sense that I wanted to write. Librarianship was posed as a good job for an aspiring writer. Even without this potential benefit, who could resist the lure of spending one’s days surrounded by books and resources made accessible to all, the precious institution of our American public libraries?

     Since I had a background in social services, I was considered a good pick for that particular setting. What came along with storytimes, summer reading, endless hours of helping people learn how to navigate desktop computers and related technologies, were experiences I had never expected: breaking up fights, providing first aid, overhearing young activists as they made their strategic plans, encouraging young kids to eat fruits and vegetables provided in a lunch program.  And so much more.

     I have a romantic vision of going to foreign countries to learn about their cultures and environments. I am past the age of going to war(even if I wanted to) or adventuring by hunting and deep sea fishing, as Hemmingway did. I still see potential for adventure, a different kind of adventures than would have interested Hemmingway and his pals.

     I plan to visit those places, and absorb:  to see the world, to connect with its citizens outside the boundaries of my comfort, and to report back. But first, I will examine that road that gets me there, and have the adventures of engaging with my own limitations. And to look for the unexpected.