advice from the aclm

not only is my aclm leaving, but today is his last day. i have to say, i kinda feel like we're getting shafted. i mean, why do we have to lose our aclm just so some newly built library can get him and they have to wait until they find us a replacement? no fair. anyway, the aclm tried to give me some words of wisdom before he leaves ....
first he told me that i should try to communicate better with the manager. so i told him straight out that i find it difficult (impossible) to relate to the manager. when he asked me why, i said that i felt that she didn't like me. he did not disagree. he just said some bs about her being a "traditional" librarian and how she does not embrace change. well, no wonder they seem to have a problem retaining children's librarians. i then mention her hatred of children. again he did not disagree. then i said that i felt that she has never once said anything encouraging or ever sad that i had done anything well. again, he did not disagree. all he said was, "you know you do a good job. you know what you do here."
"yeah," i said, "i know i do a good job."
then he mentioned that he knows that the manager does not like when i mention the other branch i worked at (you know, the one that i loved). usually i will mention it as a reference to other library practices that i am familiar with. like, "oh, yeah they did that at my other branch." or "when i was at the other branch they did so and so ... maybe we can try that here." or "yes, i am familiar with that. i learned about it at my other branch."
i mean it's not like i sit at the reference desk all wistful, longing to be back at the other branch ... saying stuff like, "back at the other branch children actually read books and parents actually cared and there was a plethora of affordable lunch spots!"
anyway then he spoke about compromising and how i should compromise. then i mentioned how i compromise all the time because the manager feels that children should be silent at all times and should never leave their seat and should ONLY be here to do homework and that they should never have fun and that there can only be four to a table and one to a computer. and i enforce these ridiculous rules even though i do not believe in half of them.
grrrrrrrrr.