love letter to the local library
Dear Local Library,
Hello again, my dear friend. I'm thinking of you today! You are a haven in the world. You are an oasis of knowledge and freedom. You are a light in the darkness! I think I should tell you that I adore you.
You teach me patience.
The excitement for a book builds exponentially. I dream in "your hold is ready" notifications (no joke!) and I watch the hold line countdown with anticipatory glee. I could buy online for delivery, or go to the bookstore, or download from Kindle, but there's something so fun about the unpredictability of waiting for a book. It's a lovely surprise during my week when a hold is ready earlier than I think it will be!
You teach me time-management.
Life is busy. Time is short. Some habits are shelved for later days, and it's easy to let some things (like reading daily) fall down the cracks...but then, I remember the renewal limit. Nothing keeps me reading more than a reminder that I only have so many days or I have to jump back into the queue. (So, you know, thank you for helping me meet my yearly reading goal!)
You teach me consideration.
I'm very aware of the fact that there is usually a line for the book I am reading. I know that my fellow patrons are eagerly awaiting, as well. This also helps me keep on my daily goals. It keeps me from letting a book sit, untouched, for whole weeks at a time.
Maybe I'll miss a day, but I want to make sure that I'm considerate with the time that I have. I'd like the next person to be pleasantly surprised by an early return. (Or, at the very least, I don't want them to miss the deadline for their book club because I got a little wild with my renewals!!!)
You teach me sufficiency.
I have plenty of books at home - many of which go unread! And as much as I enjoy my personal bookshelf, I know that if I enjoy a library book enough, I can always snag a copy, so I can reread at my leisure. But, in the meantime, I am much less prone to accumulating books that I don't even end up enjoying (some of which I need to take to the Little Free Library on my street).
Thank you for your lessons. Thank you for your light. I love you, I love you, I love you!
Fondly,
Eve