It's interesting how my reaction to going into Barnes & Noble with a gift card could be so dramatically different from me entering our Queens Public Library with a library card.
It rained almost all day today. But I was excited to go to the library and was determined to not let the rain stop me. It was the kind of steady, all day kind of rain people write songs about. It was also pretty cold, and very slushy/icy from the leftover snow. Puddles were everywhere. But I hiked on my rainboots (I'm so glad I brought those home with me), snuggled into my purple XL Northface jacket (the only waterproof jacket I have), borrowed a pair of gloves (that I found on the kitchen table), and pulled out my new umbrella (I so happened to pick up a new one at Target just the other day! How convenient :P) to make the trek outside.
Of all the days this winter break to go out, today was possibly the most terrible one to choose. At the same time, the dreary weather makes it perfect for spending an entire afternoon in the library reading books.
I don't know what it was, but I was in a good mood. I didn't mind how cold my feet got (rainboots protect your feet from the puddles, not how icy they are) nor how heavy my one-shouldered laptop bag was, and the fact that it felt like the sun never really came out didn't really bother me. And when I climbed over a little hill of ice to stand on the edge of a corner to cross the street, only to have a car drive really fast through a huge puddle of water that sprayed all over me, I only laughed. Yeah, I laughed. Out loud. And a lot.
I know, I know...I'm weird.
I guess I just thought it was funny that in all the tv shows and movies, this would typically be the last straw to a bad day, but it was ironic that it almost felt like the cherry on top to a great day...and I hadn't even done anything yet. And I laughed because I thought it was so cool that I actually got to experience what it was like to really get wet from a car driving through a giant puddle. I wasn't drenched or anything, but it was significant enough to make any normal person upset.
Anyway, so all I really did was walk to the library, pick out books, and then read (well, technically I worked on my IV Staff app too, but it wasn't really a significant amount). It was so much fun! I realized how much I missed libraries. The good public libraries, not the ones on campus filled with yucky and boring academic research books. Bleh. No wonder why I don't like studying there. The books are practically just for looks for me.
Now granted, the Fresh Meadows Branch is pretty small, so the selection of books can be pretty limited. For example, I was looking for books to read on ice skating, and after looking through all the shelves of books on sports, baseball, the Olympics, ice hockey and so forth, I only found one book on ice skating. And it looked pretty old, but it seemed pretty informative.
And it's not the greatest work space - there was no place for me to plug my laptop into an outlet, and I couldn't leave my personal belongings at the table to browse more books (not that I would feel safe doing that anywhere, really), but it's homey. And it's a library. I love libraries. I love reading books.
I'd forgotten how much I loved reading books on anything, not just on spiritual formation or hospitality or even dating and relationships. I could read about Greek history or art or Emily Dickinson's poems or mysteries or marketing...anything I felt like learning about. Not that I had to read any of them or all of them, but if I wanted to, I could.
I'd forgotten how much I loved reading books on anything, not just on spiritual formation or hospitality or even dating and relationships. I could read about Greek history or art or Emily Dickinson's poems or mysteries or marketing...anything I felt like learning about. Not that I had to read any of them or all of them, but if I wanted to, I could.
I'm only home for less than a week before I head back to school, and I already have plans made and tons of work to do alongside of spending time with my family so I had intended on just reading the books at the library without taking any home. But I decided to check out a few books anyway. I'll see how much I read. If I don't finish, that's fine. I'll just return them.
Amongst the select few that came home with me was the one book on ice skating.
