This is probably the best thing I ever posted on Twitter. The memory is pretty dear to me; I'm sharing it here so it still exists somewhere if that place collapses.
It still gets shared probably once per month by "wholesome meme" type accounts on IG and Facebook. Each time I get a stream of messages from old friends asking "Is this you?”
I've even seen it shared on here; it's so strange when it racks up hundreds or thousands of reposts for other people. Someone will share a screenshot, maybe add 📚 and 🔦emoji, and then half the replies mistake it for an actual post.
The strangest thing is seeing someone else share it, get a bunch of replies, and try to walk this tightrope where they respond without acknowledging that it's someone else's kid.
I'll add the same comment here that I added when I first shared it on Twitter: The “great dad" replies warm my heart, but my wife was in on it, too. It takes teamwork to run this kind of scam on a savvy kid.
In fact, it's sort of a long con initiated by my wife, who was clever enough to spend years writing novels like it's no big deal, leaving the kid to wonder what all the fuss is about.
Kelly O’Connor McNees’s award-winning novels transport readers to pivotal moments in history as seen through the eyes of the resilient, fascinating women who lived through them.
Anyway, she's 11 now. Her bedtime is later, and she knows we don't mind if she stays up reading. She still loves books, but there are lots of things – messaging with friends, Roblox, etc – competing for her attention.
At some point, though, she figured out how to check out books on Libby, and read them on her iPad. She doesn't need our help at all.
It's the weirdest thing. Someone must have installed the app, entered her library card information, and left the icon there on the home screen.
@tomathome @chu Funny you say that! She's 11 now, and at some point figured out how to check out books on Libby to read on her tablet. If I didn't know better, I’d say someone must have installed the app, entered her library card information, and put the icon on the home screen.
as a former kid who did that in the age of incandescent bulbs and low-capacity NiCads I have to say there was a time when keeping enough batteries charged was so, so much harder.
@llewelly we had a night light plugged into an outlet in the hall just outside my door. I'd sneak over there and lay on the floor reading. Just had to make sure I didn't laugh or gasp at any of what was going on in the book!
I've even seen it shared on here; it's so strange when it racks up hundreds or thousands of reposts for other people. Someone will share a screenshot, maybe add 📚 and 🔦emoji, and then half the replies mistake it for an actual post.
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Kelly O'Connor McNeesAt some point, though, she figured out how to check out books on Libby, and read them on her iPad. She doesn't need our help at all.
It's the weirdest thing. Someone must have installed the app, entered her library card information, and left the icon there on the home screen.