What Librarians Do

A couple of weeks ago, I was eating dinner with my husband and a couple of our closest friends; friends we have known for 15 years or more, that we see once or twice weekly. Somehow we were talking about advanced degrees, and one friend mentioned casually that he thinks it's stupid that yo need a master's degree to be a librarian, because "how hard is it to shelve books and check things out?"
I had to bite my tongue to avoid saying something hurtful, because this rude and ignorant comment really hurt my feelings. I understand that people don't typically realize what librarians actually do, so I was willing to cut some slack on the ignorance. I tried to explain that shelving and checking out can be done without a master's degree. I tried to let things slide, but as I was driving home that night, I was thinking: does my friend even know that I am a librarian? Is it possible that despite knowing someone for so long, he might not know what I do for a living? It made me wonder if I perhaps separate my work life and personal life too much. I was reminded of Chandler Bing on Friends, whose friends didn't know what he did for a living. And this got me to thinking: would a stranger think that I was ashamed of what I did? Nothing could be further from the truth!
I am so proud of what I do! I think I am in one of the greatest professions of all time, no exaggeration. True, I am not a doctor or a cleric; I didn't invent something incredible. However, librarians are so critical to the sharing of information. We're vital to discovery, and although we aren't social workers or psychologists, we are in a real helping profession. I love that my job gives me the opportunity to help others, to learn continually, and to serve society. I am proud to be a librarian, and I think it's time that people knew that. :)
I could go on and on about things that I love about my job, but rather than just regurgitate it here, I should live it. I am usually so concerned with offending people by pushing my views on them that I err in the opposite direction: no one knows my feelings on them. I should practice stating my opinion and perspective in a non-obstrusive way. It'd be a good experience to have, and isn't that what blogs are for?