Laugh, cry, sigh, or run away?

Sometimes at the reference desk you just do not know what to do with your own emotions. And they are undoubtedly Yours because it has nothing to do with a user's question.

Some of our users are absolutely brilliant. Perhaps they read a number of foreign languages or are interested in obscure mathematical theories. And they know it. They really do know what they're talking about. It's just the interface that prompts a difficult-to-contain emotion.

Take a gentleman in a safari hat. Not so unusual here. They don't call us the Valley of the Sun for nothing. A safari hat is a good call. Why he has it reinforced with layers and layers and layers of wide masking tape is unknown, but it's his fashion choice and I can respect that.

His entire ensemble of layers and layers of clothing topped off with said hat and a towel draped around his neck is not unusual. When your body is the only way to carry your belongings you have to layer.

The fake nose, however, has always brought a thousand questions to mind. You can see that he at least has nostrils and his nose attached to his face. It's just a fake overly-mauve vaguely flesh-covered fake nose stuck over his nose. It doesn't cover his whole nose, just the bridge and tip. You can't help but wonder why. It's curiosity-inspiring.

Does he have a deformity of the top and tip of his nose? Perhaps part is missing due to some horrible cancer or tragedy? Is it extra protection from the sun? Does it in some way improve his protection from germs? How does it stay stuck on there with no band around his head? More masking tape? Can a man of his apparent means afford spirit gum or other adhesive to keep it firmly attached? Do people have nicknames for him? The schnoz? Noseboy? Could this be the result of years of bullying?

I'll never ask and I'll probably never know. The best I can hope for is that he recovers quickly from that runny nose he had this morning.