Faux Youth Worker: Middle Management and being a Faux Youth Worker

I've been doing a photo project in Mission Hill, honoring a beloved tradition called "imperialising with a camera". Anywho, I figured that, if I'm going to shoot a photo project, it should be about something I care about, lest it end up here. I've been told by the (truly) great Chris Killip that this is a good project because I'll be able to have lots of "insider info". Insider info my black ass - what kind of insider info can I have living at Harvard University, Chris? I'm hanging out in the darkroom with you and the rest of the photo geeks, dog, drinking thai teas WITH SOY from my neighborhood coffee house and listening to the yeah yeah yeahs and noise bands and wearing my SB dunks wrong and shit and not being a real youth worker- and I'm often harshly reminded of that fact.

Por example - I went up to the library a few days ago to shoot some pictures for this project. I go in and say hi to the beautiful ladies behind the desk, who all know me. "Hi Ms. Librarians", I say. "Hey Christian!" they say. I set up my camera and start shooting the panorama, after pertaining the permission of Ms. Librarians. Right. Ms. Librarians. As I'm looking through the viewfinder, my camera is lifted from in front of my face. It takes me about 3 pitiful seconds to actually register what's happened. 2 security guards are standing over me, dangling my poor camera, looking at me like I'm reeking of gentrifier art student (oops).

They ask me what I'm doing - I say "Oh hi, I think we've met before [we had]". "No, I don't think so, kid [kid? wtf :-(] . "Um, well, I'm shooting this project...erm...I got permission from the librarians... this project, um....I work with kids....?". They say, "are you sure you work with kids? Usually when any of the youth workers need anything from the library, they know to go to Becky, our head librarian. You look like an art student." Ooh, right. "Who do you work with?" "The Phillips Brooks House Association? No? Mission Hill Summer Program? Mission Hill Youth Collaborative? No? Maria Dominguez-Gray? Maria Dominguez-Gray!"

"Oh, OK. We know her. She's great."

Oh, well, that's because she's an actual youth worker.