Lost wallets and Lost photos.

So... the other day at the library, a young lady realized she had lost her wallet and she started crying hysterically, M. the librarian proceeded to hug her, after much carrying on, to console her. She hadn't lost it in the library, but next door in the community centre, and she had a lot of cash in it for xmas shopping. She cried and cried and cried and said how she could no longer buy presents for her family. M. hugged her and said nice things to her. I said, to the nearest, unfortunate co-worker:"now she has no money and she'll catch M's cold". M. had been at work for a week very, very sick and was generously spreading germs steadily to everyone. Thanks. Always love that.

Eventually, an especially annoying, dirty and interfering homeless man came by to let everyone know his opinion. The crying was loud and had attracted many bystanders by this point. I have noticed a lot of that, people who just stand, transfixed at the scene that is unfolding in front of them, caught like a deer in headlights. Social drama gets them everytime, I guess. This same homeless man had earlier asked me an impossible to answer reference question (my favourite kind) - he wanted to know the exact statistics on how many women (mothers) lose pictures of themselves and their children, everyday. Sorry, buddy the library doesn't carry statistics like that... nor do we venture into crazy-land and try to answer them -"Well, they should he muttered"... and proceeded to ask me the exact same question again, louder. He got the same answer.

Anyway, he decided it was high time he got involved and told her to stop crying because shit happens all the time, and people hurt you, and you lose stuff, and you'll get robbed again especially if you stay that vulnerable... and be glad you have a family at all, because he lost his. Clearly, he lost some photos along the way too, or his ex-wife did and he's still damning her for it. He went on mumbiling angrily but then finally M. told him to mind his own business. It was inappropriate, his getting involved, but it was funny the way it worked instantly to stop the girls' crying. She stopped immediately and looked at him, dumbfounded as he talked. He was steered away but what he said worked... or maybe it was the crowd of chinese new immigrant onlookers watching her, or the giant Librarian consoling her with touch... or the silence of the building as she sat there, it's focus... whatever it was... it was a funny moment.