Not Quite as Planned

If they had looked like this guy—I might not have minded the interruption.

Yesterday turned out to be much busier than I expected.

I knew I had a class scheduled for the afternoon, so I had already planned to spend part of the day preparing for that. What I didn’t know was that repair work on our elevator would also become part of the day’s unfolding story.

Because the elevator has been out of order, I had planned to hold my class in collections storage. There was simply no practical way to bring everything upstairs otherwise. It wasn’t ideal, but it was manageable.

The repairman arrived first thing in the morning, attempted a fix, and quickly realized it hadn’t worked. He left to get additional tools, returned, and then discovered the issue was more complicated than expected. When I asked if they might be back later in the day, he didn’t think that would be possible given his other appointments. I told him that was actually a relief—I had a class that afternoon and really didn’t want repairs happening in the middle of it.

Of course, what should not have been a surprise: they came back anyway. Fifteen minutes before my class was scheduled to begin.

To their credit, they were respectful and did not disrupt the class, and I am genuinely grateful that the elevator is now working again. Still, it added an unnecessary layer of stress right at the moment I needed to be focused and present.

I ended up spending most of the day in collections storage. That’s not usually how my days go—I’m typically in and out, pulling what I need for a class and then returning items afterward. I’m the educator, not the collections manager. But there are certainly worse ways to spend a day, and there’s something grounding about being surrounded by history, even if it comes with a bit more physical strain.

By the end of the day, though, I had been on my feet far longer than usual, and my back is reminding me of that this morning in no uncertain terms.

If all goes as planned, today should be easier. At least, that’s the hope.

But if yesterday reminded me of anything, it’s that plans have a way of shifting, interruptions arrive whether we invite them or not, and sometimes the best we can do is adapt, take a breath, and carry on.

And maybe—just maybe—hope for a quieter day ahead… without saying it too loudly, lest we jinx it.