God Bless America

Because we still have public libraries. Oh holy heavens! I haven't been to a library to actually use the services in over 12 years. I always knew they were important . . . that you save them before the churches . . . but oh holy heavens, is all I can say.

Today I went over to one of my local branches and I got there too early. I walked up to the very dark front doors, up these lovely broad stairs and into a garden courtyard. A dad and his son sat at a metal table, both with books and papers spread before them. And older lady sat across the way, in the shade, waiting for the doors to open. I found a table for myself and just sat reading about small business financing, letting the cool breeze blow my papers around. More and more folks gathered, all convinced the library should be open long before 1:00 p.m.

While we waited, I was joined by a VERY chatty little boy. He wanted to sit exactly here, at my table out of the sun. Then he told me all about his Spiderman books, how Spiderman couldn't really climb walls because it was just a fake movie, how his Dad works for South Suburban counting oil and has too many bosses (?) and how when he buys a car it will be a Hummer because they're so cool looking, and how he was going to catch crawdads later on this afternoon at Ben's house. No wonder the Dad was fine letting him sit with me and found his own bench rather far away.

Once the doors opened, I found the reference section and went to work. With a few false starts I was able to find some helpful, albeit incomprehensible, information. Ratio tables? Ok. I made some photocopies and will have Ellen tell me what they mean. I also talked with the reference lady and she showed me how to find all kinds of reference stuff -- trade journals and the like -- on line with my library card. Whoo hooo!

The only drawback were the teenagers. They were all over the place with books in front of them, yapping. In fairness, the girl group who arrived requested a study room and went behind closed doors to yap. The boys just sat there in the midst of everyone, whisper-yapping away. I wasn't interested in hearing how bitchy the math teacher was nor how Huck Finn's father was really on the raft at the end of the story(another ?). Once I moved tables and sat next to an old guy reading a paper, I was fine.

But it did make me remember going to the library in Littleton to get away from my parents and do Important Writing Work right after I got out of college. I still want the reading chair that was next to my study carol at Kenyon. So comfortable for reading. So isolated and comfortable and situated so you sat looking out the third story window into the trees. And all those millions of hours in the phone booth in the basement of the old part, talking to Ellen. AHHH the quiet, beautiful land of libraries!

It was like a reawakened miracle. I forgot . . . I haven't needed them in so long so I forgot . . . I forgot how FUCKING COOL libraries are. I loved it. What a wonderful place to spend a Sunday!

And now I have my library card so I can get on line or go back and check stuff out or go downtown and REALLY research something, really a lot!

Man alive. God Bless America for making these beautiful places free!