Food for Thought

There are somethings we do that we take for granted without really thinking is this truly necessary?

One being - the printing a souvenir to mark an occasion.

The latest one I'm involved with is a souvenir to mark the 150th year of our Nilgiri Library. I'm suitably low down on a sub sub committee with some tasks strictly outlined for me. Though my personal view is that the whole running of the Library is far too snooty (not for nothing do we have the epithet snooty Ooty) and it should be open to more people; still I have been doing what is asked of me in return for the strong base the Library has been in my life at Ooty.

This morning as I was interviewing the staff for an article for the souvenir, an elderly gentleman started asking me the point of the whole thing. (He did remind me of my Father with his pertinent, uncomfortable-making, difficult to answer questions).

He said all souvenirs end up in the basket. They only go to people who already know about the institution. Souvenirs are created to put in the photos of the existing committee and to blow up a few egos. Why don't we use the money to prop up the building which is disintegrating and to increase the salaries of the staff who are of course paid a non-living wage?

All very valid. Now, do i have the courage to put this across to the haloed committee?