One of my favorite patrons came into the library yesterday. He is paralyzed from waist down and can only say a few phrases. His brain, otherwise, works fine and he understands everything we say to him. He is a brilliant man and his reference questions are quite challenging. I have had to learn how to do Reference by telepathy with him. I am not even kidding about this. Often when I help him with a question I am reading his mind. I have grown to really like this man and and am always happy to see him when he comes to the library.

When he was leaving yesterday he stopped by my desk to say hello. He asked (one of the few phrases he can say) “How are you?” I responded, “Well, I have a little cold and I’m not feeling super great.” He kind of looked at me and said one of the other things he says, “That’s all.”

It was like a bolt of lightening hit me. Here is this amazing person getting along in the world having gone through what his has gone through and I’m complaining about having a cold. That’s all, indeed.