this isn't brain surgery, it's a walkman.

After working for several months in the public sphere of museums, I've catalogued several things I've realized about people and the way they interact with cultural sites. And, believe me, they aren't all pretty.

Right off, it's shocking to me that so many people are apparently unfamiliar with museum etiquette. Maybe I'm assuming too much, but I would think generally it's a no-no to lean on walls and touch things if you're in any kind of museum. Also, let's use our inside-voices, kids. I know that I have a pretty strong background as far as visiting museums goes, but is this really such a foreign concept? Every day I deal with people leaning on hand-painted wallpaper from the 1920s, grabbing and squishing the insects in the bug display (yeah, they're cockroaches.. but THEY HAVE FEELINGS! So far two have died). People open doors that are closed for a reason, pry where they don't belong and I really don't feel that every door should have a sign reminding people to mind their manners. And seriously, how hard is it to plug a set of headphones into an walkman??

This maybe goes along with the fact that people just plain don't listen. I say, please don't squish the bugs, and they squish. I say, don't close all the Venus Fly-traps because they can only close a few times before they die, and I go back to find the entire plant closed up. I say, please don't go into the dining room until you come back downstairs, they go in the dining room. Sure, there are honest mistakes.. 'I forgot' etc. but the vast majority of these oops-moments are the result of people simply not listening. I'm constantly trying to talk over people, get them off their cellphones and onto a tour. It shouldn't be this hard.

It's curious to me that the majority of those who are having oops-moments, or killing living things, are American. Actually, scratch that.. It's not curious, it's sad. Why is it that someone from a foreign country (take your pick), that perhaps doesn't even understand my instructions in English, still minds themself more than an American counterpart? It's astonishing the many times I've gone to check an unmanned game at the Botanical Garden only to find it completely strewn about.. or the many times I put up with sticky, screaming little kids to not even be offered a simple Thank You. Yes, this is my job. But how many people are walking into your office and throwing your supplies into Piedmont Park? Appreciate education workers.. We're paid beans and put up with more than most people could stomach.

Now as I am trying to learn from these experiences, I've come up with some ideas to facilitate the touching issue. People obviously seem to want to touch things, so we should provide them with objects they are welcome to touch. I know as well as anyone else that it's extremely uncomfortable to be in a sterile, white environment where you have to watch your every move. Exhibits need to be more interactive and hands-on, I'm all for that. But how do you keep people under control? Yes, you can touch the Hissing Cockroaches but don't kill them! I still haven't figured that one out. Signs only do so much and I'm not a policeman. I'm not every child's parent, I can't reprimand them (and half the time I'd rather reprimand the parent anyway).

On the bright side, I found overwhelmingly that people are willing to learn. I've found pleasure in exciting people of all ages about subjects they previously didn't care for or knew nothing about. Every day I'm asked thoughtful, intelligent questions, some I don't even know the answer to myself. People I would never expect to be interested in 1840's era Georgia Farmlife pepper me with inquisitions.. and that's refreshing! It makes my day more pleasant to feel like what I'm doing is worth something. I've also found that the more you can relate a subject to the visitor, the more excited they get. That might not sound too groundbreaking, but out of the 15+ rooms in the Swan House, I've found the Kitchen is by far the most popular and pleasing. If I can somehow in the future design an exhibit of Ancient Buddhist artwork that both relates to and excites any random person off of the street, I'll have accomplished my goal.. and all of this wiping ink off of kid's hands, picking up tennis balls, and saying Thank You Come Again 59999 times a day will have been worth it.