Am I going to fit in?

The first day in any new environment can be a pretty scary experience, expectations and anxiety are high, but the biggest fear of them all is “am I going to fit in?”

My first day at Lubuto Library Partners was no exception, the fear of been among the youngest and a newbie crippled my spine.

On my way to work I asked myself several questions that led to more questions than answers, “What if I mess up, or fail to leave up to their expectations or maybe am just not the right candidate for this job?”

The more I thought about it the more timid I became. I quickly reassured myself with a quote I read somewhere that said “if you stumble make it part of the dance”, and that was exactly what I was going to do, dance stumble and dance again.

But Lubuto was nothing like I pictured it to be, it felt more of home than work, such a warm, loving, young and dynamic group of people enthusiastic about promoting literacy.

Their libraries are no exception. During my orientation I had so much fun interacting with the different children that walk through our doors daily and don’t walk out the same.

Life doesn’t get any better than having a job that allows the 4, 8, 13, 16 and 18 year old in you who has been suppressed by adulthood to finally come out to play.

Am I going to fit in? Of course I am!!

I have worked in many organisations, but no organisation has been as warm as Lubuto Library Partners.

This is no cliché, but everyone in this organisation is warm and loving. I am guessing maybe that is why it is called Lubuto after all, ‘a Bemba word for light’, because you definitely cannot leave without having some light shone on you.