A Blog; "My Life as a TAG Member"
There is a certain extent to which you could say I was born into TAG. Growing up with my mother working at the library, the Ketchikan Public Library was more than a second home to me, it was a sanctuary. I felt natural there, and the tombs held in by the stacks were my brethren more than my local library's collection. The awkward part might be that I never took up pleasure reading very much beyond the occasional good book, and I admit I'm rather picky when it comes to literature.
However, it still seemed only natural when my own mother started up the TAG group that I would join. As any reader of this blog knows, TAG is a Teen Advisory Group at Ketchikan Public Library. It's administrative person is Kelly Johnson, who also does this very blog as well as managing the Teen Corner on the library's website, doing all of the "paperwork" so to speak for the programming, and overall hauls ass on making TAG thrive in an environment that quite honestly was hostile towards it. With Kelly being my mother, I knew more about the background happenings of TAG than most members, but I tried not to let that interfere with my involvement too much.
Yet again, it did seem almost too obvious that I would join TAG--it was an easy resume builder that my mother happened to be in charge of. But I admit, when I first agreed to join TAG, I wasn't enthused by the concept behind it. I was skeptical, as most teens are, that TAG would really be fun and/or fulfilling. I may have in fact joined TAG so as to not disappoint my mother, but I dedicated over a hundred hours of my life to TAG because I found I believed in it. Every program we brought together, no matter how well (or poorly) attended, the members of TAG would make an effort to make it worth it.
In my two years being in TAG there was only one program that I felt could have actually been improved by the people improving, and that program was on a hot summer night with two longer movies, so I feel it may as well be excused from it's folly.
I can remember sitting talking to college students, being one of four non-college students in attendance, laughing and enjoying the program, just as well as I can remember the silent rave where dancing, singing and hilarious games were constant and well attended. Truly TAG had--has--a certain magic to it, one I hope that, although it will certainly change as the dynamics of the TAG members change, never dies.
In my two years being in TAG there was only one program that I felt could have actually been improved by the people improving, and that program was on a hot summer night with two longer movies, so I feel it may as well be excused from it's folly.
I can remember sitting talking to college students, being one of four non-college students in attendance, laughing and enjoying the program, just as well as I can remember the silent rave where dancing, singing and hilarious games were constant and well attended. Truly TAG had--has--a certain magic to it, one I hope that, although it will certainly change as the dynamics of the TAG members change, never dies.
Good luck comrades, don't let me down.
Jasmyne "Godzilla" Johnson, TAG member (fo' life).
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