September 14, 2016, Dr. Carla Hayden was sworn in by Chief Justice John G. Roberts as the 14th Librarian of Congress. The third professional librarian, the first woman and the first person of African American descent to hold the position. This is important because today is the 14th and I went to the Library of Congress National Book Festival in mid-August in Washington D.C. and I was out and about on the convention floor browsing books and I spied with my little eye, Dr. Hayden.

It was one of the moments when I hesitated and thought I looked too beleagered to greet her but then I thought, I MUST MEET her so I caught her eye largely because I was staring at her until she looked over and then I shoved out my right arm and actually introduced myself like a boss and told her I was a volunteer (I also had on my volunteer t-shirt) and my super cute bookish skirt and then she asked where I was from and of course I said I was visiting from the other Washington, the one that was a state. She smiled like I said the wittiest thing ever and said it was such a beautiful state and I agreed and quickly added that we had some great indy bookstores and then I think I blacked out because I was talking with Dr. Carla Hayden which is about a high as you can go in the library business and I felt like I was at the summit of Le Col de la Bibliotek and then she shook my hand or had I even let go of her hand from the first handshake, I can’t recall.

Sometimes you have to seize the moment and I’m glad I did because there are just as many times one might say, “Oh, I shouldn’t bother them” or “Why don’t I mind my own,” and then you might be fraught with regret about not seizing the moment and so I’m glad I didn’t let good judgement interfere with intution and I thrust out my arm and gave it a go.

Since today is the day she was appointed, it felt like a good day to share my moment. There has been so much business in the days following the return from that trip. I’ve had no time to process what a great trip I had to D.C. and that moment of meeting the Librarian of Congress was such great fortune.

I also got to sit in the reading room because I got an LoC card. I spent about 2 hours looking through books in the stacks and sitting at the beautiful tables and reading. The serendipity of it all was overwhelming. I couldn’t have written it into a plot line of a book better than I lived it.

After that I was floating around a few inches off the marble floors reliving the moment hoping it really did happen. I checked my phone to be sure the photo was there, and it was, so it did in fact happen. I bought more books and went to a few more author sessions and marveled at what an amazing adventure the event had been.

Then I hopped on my Captiol Bike share bike and rode the National Mall. That’s a story for another day. D.C., to be continued. Today, I’ll savor the memory of meeting Dr. Hayden.

I hope you have magical memories. Thanks for reading my blog post, I appreciate it.