This week I’m at the Leadership Institute for Academic Librarians (LIAL) at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Boston, Massachusetts. This is the 15th year of the LIAL, and the Class of 2013 is made up of roughly 100 librarians from all over the world. I can say “world” because the group is made up predominantly of librarians from the United States, but also Canada, China, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The first thing I’m not supposed to do is tweet about LIAL. Or Facebook about LIAL. Or probably write this blog post about LIAL. So I won’t share all of the intimate specifics of LIAL, but I feel that I have an obligation to share some of what I am experiencing without necessarily divulging the deep, dark, sordid secrets of my fellow librarians.

Because diabetes is a part of every single thing that I do, I don’t feel shy about sharing some of the other sides of my life every once in awhile. How am I ever going to be able to sell that line about “I am more than just my diabetes” when I’m not willing to share more than just my diabetes? Besides, there have been some diabetes moments, so it’s not all librarian mumbo jumbo. Which is lucky for you, because that means you get to learn a little bit about Martin Librarian as well as the usual rants and raves about my living with diabetes. Consider it as entertaining as when someone farts in church while the preacher is taking a breath mid-hellfire and brimstone. I will be that fart of fresh air for you.

Like yesterday, when I was getting on my plane in Atlanta, a nice couple in the front row reached out to me and pointed out my Medtronic insulin pump that I had clipped to the outside of my jeans pocket. Turns out they work for Medtronic (or did, I’m not sure…boarding the plane was a little chaotic). There wasn’t much time for chatting, but they were very happy to see someone wearing a device that they are so proud to have been a part of developing. That made me happy. Not so much because they work for Medtronic, but just that MY diabetes made someone else’s day. Because, let’s face it, sometimes it’s a real dump in the pants.

(And that’s the 2nd fart joke I’ve made in one blog post. I should be ashamed of myself. I’m not. You’re welcome.)

Since I arrived in Boston, I’ve pretty much been going nonstop. So far I’m managed to break one iPhone case, one set of earbuds, discover that I didn’t bring enough socks, or any workout clothes, I didn’t complete near enough reading to feel prepared for class, and that the minibar is no substitute for a fridge in a hotel room. On the positive side, I won an argument versus a cab driver with a stereotypical Boston bad attitude, found an honor system book sale on the street, and saw socks in a store window tonight that have stripes made out of eff words on them. I’m sorry if you’re easily offended, but I WILL be going back to get me a pair tomorrow when they are open. You don’t let that kind of opportunity pass you by.

Several times so far this trip I’ve been asked about diabetes, which is awesome. Probably because I have it tattooed all over me. Yesterday, a nice woman that I was sitting next to on the plane from Atlanta to Boston asked me about the differences between multiple daily injections (MDI) versus using an insulin pump for people with Type 1 diabetes. Today, after getting off of the phone helping out a fellow T1D with a diabetes challenge, a librarian colleague and I had a conversation about Students With Diabetes and my passion for helping people with diabetes, and especially my unique perspective as a medical librarian with Type 1 diabetes. I absolutely love it when my diabetes world intersects with the real world in a positive way, and that I’m making progress integrating it with Martin Librarian world.

I also sat next to a nice librarian lady today (named Ripple, which may be the coolest name ever) who had a Mickey watch, same as mine. What are the odds? She’s the first person I’ve ever met in the wild with a Mickey watch like mine, and who isn’t six years old.

I’m learning a lot this week, and will share more as I can. There is a TV inside the mirror in my bathroom, so I’m going to go watch SportsCenter now.

(3rd fart joke. You didn’t even see that one coming!)