Library

"...the library... Where you can browse the stacks and smell the books. You're not supposed to talk much anyway so it's safe there." - Tanya Davis, How to Be Alone

I was frustrated. I was in a neighboring town I'd visited often, & I wasn't lost, but the library didn't seem to be where the internet said it would be in this town. Let me repeat myself. I wasn't lost. *narrows eyes & grins at all of you who are chuckling at my obnoxious statement*
I call them. Turns out, the damn place IS right where the internet said it was supposed to be, but I was just oblivious to it. It was smack dab off the main road, in between a grocery store & an Applebee's. My irritability melted away when I scored a terrific parking spot, right near the entrance, under a beautiful tree in the shade.

As I walked in, I stopped the first librarian I saw behind a counter & asked how long this specific library had been there. 
"1978," she said, laughing as she saw my mouth drop. How is it, that a person like myself, never knew it was there? I'd driven past it so many times, & never took notice of it's presence. I'd eaten at the restaurants next to it & others in the area many times; I'd shopped at that grocery store before, & still never knew that pillar of knowledge was wedged between them. Go figure!

It'd been quite some time since I'd visited a library. Not since before my youngest was born; I think, when I went to the one in my hometown, checked our 4 or 5 books, & never returned them.
What?
Oh, c'mon! You know you've done it too! Some of you may even still have books from your high school library, so I don't wanna hear it. After all, I happen to have donated to my local library, so it cancels out. So there. =P

There was something soothing about being there. Something familiar & comforting. As if I had just returned home. I sat down at one of the many tables, to write some of these first thoughts down, when I noticed a warning sign about the wireless internet connection there. It made me chuckle to think of the local library having wi-fi. As I looked around me, I saw an eclectic group of ppl, & two computer labs. One with about 20 hi def comps, accompanied by a computer lab monitor (yes, that's a local gov't employee), & the other on the opposite side of the building, in the "juvenile" section, equipped with 7 or 8 comps, & kids playing all kinds of educational but challenging games. Very cool.
It reminded me of some of my favorite comp games when I was a child. Like "Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?" & "Oregon Trail." Remember those? Man, those were good quality games. I gotta find me a computer junkie now, to hook me up!

Anyway, moving on. I got up & started to do what I came to do; what I was most excited about. Browsing the books. I made my way to the farthest corner, near a large, wall sized window, just pouring in the sunlight. I stepped into the warmth of it's rays, & breathed in deep, & took in the smell of the books behind me. I strayed there in the natural light for a moment, & peered out over the lawn, where some wrens were pecking at the dirt under the lush grass. I immediately wanted to check out a book & go sit outside & just soak up all the moment had to give me, but I'd only been there all of 15 mins, so... I pressed on.

As I took a step back from the window to continue on my journey, the sun lit up a stained glass portrait hanging from the tip top. It resembled a library, in old days. There was a black man in a hat sitting under a tree reading a book. Above the building in the picture, there was statement that read, "Nourishment for the Soul." I absolutely loved it.


For a while, there was a lot of the bending of the head, cocking it to one side, to read the vertical labels & authors listed on the bands of the books. I eventually found one I felt was worth picking up. In doing so, I noticed something about myself. I tend to prefer solid colored books, or at least solid colored bands, with book covers that have simple color patterns. The book I picked up was, "Aesop Without Morals," in which there were hundreds of the short but lesson filled fables, with primary illustrations. My favorite was #32, called The Homicide, in which we learn, dear friends, that Karma is a bitch, & folks even in Aesop's times recognized it. Ha. 
 
I made my way through the rows, finding tons of things that intrigued me. I have to admit, I felt a bit like Belle from Disney's "Beauty & the Beast," in the scene where the beast throws back the curtains in the library & gives her those thousands of books. It was rather overwhelming, being surrounded by such wealth of knowledge. 

It occurred to me, quite often when my thoughts would get to me, that in being alone amongst the books (at least that many books), it doesn't really feel like being alone.

 I could almost hear the books calling out to me (a biography on the late Elizabeth Taylor more so than most), "Pick me! Pick me!" I was reminded of the brilliant film, "The Pagemaster," with the astounding actor Christopher Lloyd.

I found the HUGE dictionary that each library always has open, & as always, got curious as to which word it was opened to. "Cantankerous" was at the top of the opened page. Hm. Interesting.

I continued on back around toward the entrance, & was pleasantly surprised at what I found. Free Income Tax Forms. A table about 20 feet long lined with them. Isn't that cool? Next to it was a bulletin board for community activities scheduled to take place there at the library, & sign up info on lots of clubs to join, classes to take, & fundraisers to participate in. There was also a ton of pamphlets on raising public awareness on things like Domestic Violence & Discrimination.

There was a Graphic Novel section (oh my), standing alone, near the librarians quarters. I found that amusing. There was also a section specifically for CDs (mainly movie soundtracks), DVDs & Audio Books, separated into discs & audio cassette. I loved that they still carry tapes. I was glad for that. There should be a little of the past mixed in with the ever fast paced present.

What I didn't find was the machines where you can browse through really old newspapers, but I suppose you can't have your cake & eat it too.

I took note of the color of the walls. Most of them were a deep teal, an underwater color almost. Very soothing. The white ones were covered in inspirational, & very colorful artwork, I assume from children & young adults in the community.

I'm totally smiling. My eyes give it away :)

I made my way back to the poetry section (of course, it's my absolute favorite. I could live there), & spent the remainder of my stay there (til the announcement that the library would be closing in 5 mins came over the loud speaker. Yeah. I was there a while). I stuck my nose in a book, smelling the crispness of the paper, feeling the indents of the inked words under my fingertips, hearing the creak in the bind, my senses firing off as I began my journey. I was transported to another world by power of the imagination & didn't want to leave.

I did not notice anyone else around me. I was completely enveloped in myself & what I possessed within my grasp, & for the time being, for once...


I was completely content being alone.
The beginning of success is now <3