OPEN WINDOWS | Arteries
July 1st, 2022
“We deal with different personalities and nationalities
and do our best to protect everyone.
We want to be appreciated.”
DIAMOND
Museum guard, USA
Heera Alaya: Diamond, run me through a typical workday.
Diamond: I work six days a week, wake up between 6:00 am and 7:00 am and leave my home at 8:00 am to get to the museum. I usually stop at McDonald’s to get breakfast, which is not good for me. I reach the museum around 9.15 am, prepare for the opening, and end my day by 5.45 pm, arriving home around 7.00 pm.
My day off can be long and tiring too, as I have so much to take care of—washing clothes, visiting the doctor, shopping for groceries, paying bills, and cleaning the house; it is never-ending.
I understand.
Do you work on holidays?
If we are scheduled to work, we must be at the museum. Christmas is a holiday.
What are the rewards and challenges of being a museum guard?
The rewarding part of working in a museum is the cheerful ambience, seeing all the artists’ works and exhibits (which come from passion), and being appreciated by people who value our job: “Thank you for doing what you are doing.”
Trust me; we don’t get smiling faces every day. This morning, a man, when I asked him to open his bag, screamed, “You are mean; you are nasty.” The unruly man then went to my coworker. There is prejudice—certain people believe we have no right to question them. It is challenging to deal with disrespectful people who disregard rules.
I have been a museum guard for three years. Standing all day is starting to take a toll on me. I have arthritis in my knee. And today, I am in a lot of pain.
How should one prepare for a museum visit?
A national museum is federal property. Visitors must know which items are prohibited, like pepper sprays, tasers and marijuana. People planning to visit a museum must understand where they are going and learn about museum-specific rules.
Visitors must understand what they can bring and how they must behave within the museum premises. Museum guards check bags and, on finding prohibited material, turn away visitors (sometimes disposing of their bags).
What would you like people to know about museum guards?
Museum guards face new challenges every day. We deal with different personalities and nationalities and do our best to protect everyone. We keep everyone safe. We keep the museum safe. We want to be appreciated.
And we do [appreciate museum guards]. Thank you for sharing your time.
Thank you for showing interest in my work.
