“I hate it when people say, ‘Act like an adult.’ Have you seen adults lately? That’s horrible advice.” ~ Unknown
archivists in shade
So much happened yesterday that I didn’t talk about the highlight: lunch with my old friend, colleague, and former student worker, Heather Fox, above. Heather has been at the University of Louisville since 2013, the same year I moved from newspapers to oral history. When she was going through library school at UK, she worked for the newspapers for a very brief period until she got a job in archives, which was more of what she was hoping to do as a career. Today, she serves as the director of the oral history program at the University of Louisville Library and as an advisor to the Kentucky Oral History Commission (KOHC). I’m also a KOHC advisor, so we get to see each other at those meetings, but it’s been years since we’ve had time to sit down and really talk. She came to Lexington yesterday to have lunch with me, and we made the most of our time. There was never a lull in the conversation, and we covered some fascinating subjects. She recently had an article published in Kentucky Libraries about her sabbatical work, which involved conducting oral histories with Courier Journal photographers during the newspaper’s Pulitzer Prize-winning days. She’s a great writer, which comes as no surprise, given that she’s exceptionally gifted in everything she does. Then, today, as I was leaving the office, I ran into Ruth holding up this small chapbook. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Nearly 40 years ago, BFF Pam Oldfield Meade and the Foothills Artists group, up around Morgan County, compiled a small book of writings, using one of my photos for the cover. Cats Boone (Kiya’s cat who lived to be at least 20 years old) and Socks beamed at me from the little book that arrived today as a donation to the archives, along with other artifacts. It warmed my heart to see that little book from so long ago. As I said to Ruth, “You just never knnow where I’m going to turn up.” Photos from 40 years ago and old friends having lunch after years and years? I mean, I really must be living right to have such golden reminders of life’s goodness.
archivist in sun
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