Like everyone else, I like to get something for nothing.
Who isn’t thrilled to discover a twenty-dollar-bill in the street? And don’t you appreciate that extra scoop of ice cream when you’ve only paid for a small cone? This past summer, my husband and I attended a family fair on a dusty Sunday afternoon. We stood on a long drink line amid the crowds and soaring temperatures, cranky and short-tempered—until we finally made it to the barkeep who informed us the people in line ahead of us had pre-paid for our drinks. Voila! Our foul moods vanished.
These passing delights feel special. Even serendipitous. A little divine intervention from the everyday that each of us yearns for—even when we don’t realize it. The first time I experienced this particular kind of magic was at 6 years old, when my parents took me to the library for the very first time.
The Magic of the Library
I’m sure my folks explained the purpose of the outing beforehand, though I have no memory of it.
The only thing I recall is the feeling of awe as I stood in a large room, surrounded by towering shelves of books. When I was encouraged to look, touch, read, excitement rose up inside of me.
And when I discovered I could take books home—six of them—I couldn’t believe my sudden good fortune. After my mom checked them out with her library card—a mysterious item I suddenly coveted—I was the first one out the door, arms tight around my stash, afraid to look back lest someone follow me and demand I give the stories back.
I don’t remember the titles of all the books I checked out that day, just the one I loved best: Go Dog Go, by P.D. Eastman. From the whimsical cover—a smartly dressed cartoon pup driving a racecar amid a striped red, white, and green background—to the delightful tale of “highly mobile dogs who operate cars and other conveyances in pursuit of work (and) play,” I was riveted.
Cast into an alternate world of motion and excitement that drew me in as surely as the first line of a high-octane thriller hooks me today.
Sparking the Imagination
Books not only spark the imagination and allow us entry into worlds we wouldn’t otherwise be able to visit but they teach us what it’s like to be human.
Think of the secret life of rabbits we discovered in Watership Down, the magical delights Harry Potter introduced to us, or the unflagging optimism amid the heartbreaking tragedy that was young Anne Frank’s life.
So many of us wouldn’t know about these important, life-changing stories without libraries.
Ponder this...
Ponder this the next time you are asked to part with some of your hard-earned taxpayer dollars to support your local library. I think you’ll agree it’s money well spent. . .
and I’ve spent more time than ever in libraries and independent bookstores this month!
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