"You don't LOOK like a librarian!"

Okay, before I begin, I have to comment on the fact that it is an absolute delight having this little puppy in our house. We've had Bubba since mid-October of last year (2010), and he's simply a joy to have around. He's a bit of a spaz, sure, but aren't all dogs? (And honestly, aren't people kind of spazzy, too?) But he's so loveable and sweet and cute and well-behaved. BIG BONUS is that Josie's not allergic to him. We're all happy with him. I'll admit, it was a bit stressful when we first got him, but he's grown accustomed to us and us to him. I love my little puppy, who is definitely a Momma's Boy! (I have to admit, though, it IS a bit difficult writing this on my laptop while he's sitting so close to me--he puts his head on the computer and he keeps moving the cursor on the mouspad. Oh well... it's nice to snuggle with him.

Now, I have to address this because it just cracks me up:

Ever since I decided to go back to school, whenever I tell people I'm studying to be a librarian, someone always says "You don't LOOK like a librarian." Hmm.... This begs the question: WHAT does a librarian look like? I've looked up the word "librarian" in the dictionary, but there's no accompanying picture. That's not much help. So I go to the library and look around. Funny, I never noticed it before, but none of the librarians look alike. I can't figure out which one of them, then, "looks like a librarian". Nobody's wearing a nametag that says "Librarian" on it, and I haven't been able to figure out the standard "Librarian" uniform--some of the folks behind various desks are wearing jeans and t-shirts or sweaters, others wear dressier slacks and tops. I've seen both men and women working in the libraries, checking out books, working the reference desk, shelving books. Men and women who aren't related typically don't look alike, so the very fact that both genders work as librarians confuses me: which one of these is more likely to LOOK like a librarian? Once you narrow down a gender, what hair color, skin color, body shape, mannerisms, etc., does a librarian have?

Here's a librarian I wouldn't mind looking like! Marian the Librarian, from the Music Man.

Oh! Then I start thinking, when those folks said I don't look like a librarian, there's an underlying statement there (or there could be): namely, I must look like something else. What is it that I look like, then? I'm curious. Do I look like a doctor? A teacher? Perhaps a fireman? Or is it more complicated than that? Maybe I look like an out-of-work hairdresser? (I wish!)

Marisa Tomei's character in My Cousin Vinny was an out-of-work hairdresser.

I read a blog recently about how someone was hoping to get hired as a librarian, and one of the reasons she was hoping to be hired was because she was a "hipster" (whatever that is) and I guess she wanted to improve the image people have of librarians. I understand that, to a certain extent. But at the same time, it's kind of a crock. What difference does it make what a librarian looks like, as long as they're able to do their job effectively? I still haven't decided if I'm perturbed or amused by the comment that I don't look like a librarian...