Library Adventures, Part One

As I think I've mentioned before, I work as an evening/weekend supervisor at the Berry College Memorial Library. From time to time we get some interesting characters in there. For instance, there's this one guy who calls himself Faruq who pops in from time to time. Faruq is really into conspiracy theories, and has gotten the impression somewhere along the way that I am likeminded enough to want to hear him talk about them for hours on end. Because that's what he does. Twice now I have been victim to his unique ability to wax paranoid on an incessant level. In both cases I required rescue from others working here, who were both able to "require my assistance" when they saw my plight. Plight? you might ask. Why did I let him talk for so long? It's a result of the combination of a few factors. The first, and perhaps major, factor is that I'm just plain unassertive. I have a tendency to let people walk over me, talk over me, and generally dominate interactions, which is tempered only by my tendency to avoid repeated encounters with people who do that kind of thing. Second, I find honesty important enough that I would feel bad if I falsely claimed to have work to do. Thirdly, I try to be politely disinterested. I figure that if I let him have his say, he'll eventually finish making his point, or realize that I'm not interested. So, I don't talk unless absolutely necessary. I'll nod, say "mm-hmm", and in extreme situations ask questions. Otherwise, I look at the clock, shift my weight, sigh, put obstacles between us, and not talk. All the non-verbal signs of somebody who's not willing to be engaged in conversation with you, right? Unfortunately, this has no effect on someone with as much social awareness as a bucket of kidney stones. He talks of Illuminati, Bohemian Grove, September 11. He talks while I'm helping other library patrons. He talks for at least half an hour.

At one point last night, he wanted to check out a book. Our circulation desk worker informed him that community cards were $5. He claimed he had checked out books before (unlikely, as he was never in our system, even under his real name, Clarence), and even gotten interlibrary loans. I backed up the circ worker, saying that thought that may have been, the system now required $5 from community patrons. The circ worker threw in the fact that he had been enjoying library resources, such as the computers, for free, whereas students must pay a technology fee each semester. Good point, especially when you consider the sheer volume of stuff he prints out. Anyways, I think my point was somewhere in the area of awareness. Does he not realize that I am not mentally engaged in the conversation? Does he ignore it? Am I the only person who doesn't tell him he's crazy, and that's why he keeps on talking?

People who get so caught up in the study of stuff like that scare me a little bit. Let me rephrase that. Faruq himself doesn't scare me, but an obsessive mindset like that does. It's not a way I want to be, not even when it comes to things that are highly important to me, like my religion. I had a Sunday School teacher once who is a lot like Faruq, but is obsessive in the same way about eschatology and gifts of the Spirit and whatnot. I don't think obsession (I hate overusing that work, but I can't think of a better one) like that is healthy, no matter where it's applied.

In closing, Faruq in particular reminds me of the words of a particular wise man:
"...a fool's voice is known by multitude of words."