Yesterday it was hot, today it is hot. I personally, would prefer to be home in my Doctor Who themed office with my puppies Peekaboo and Cooper aka Ken Howard. A few years ago my rear spoiler on our car, The Tardis, took a hit from what I assume was a boulder flying off a rock hauler on 270 in Columbus. The paint was damaged and it needed to be repainted. It went to Service King and they did a nice job. But it didn’t keep. Maybe a smudge of oil or grease under the paint, maybe something else. I’m not a car painter so it’s hard to say much about the why but the what is pretty clear. The paint is peeling off and it needs to have warranty work. So back to Service King for warranty work and a rental on them. Wow, that is service!
From our home to Columbus it can take anywhere from thirty-five minutes to what seems like forever depending on traffic and of course how fast I am going. So, I was up at 5:09 am, I snoozed it. Hopped in the shower, got dressed, dried my hair, made breakfast, gave Boo her medicine and made sure they went out to potty. Circled the house making sure that I have everything I may need at least three times. You know that when I write this it sounds like a well-oiled machine except for the circling three times. But it really isn’t. Between each of these tasks I often get distracted. My brain says “Oh look something shiny! Oooo wait over there, that’s pretty. Boy, music would be nice, let me go turn on the TV. Shit! I can’t find my glasses.” So while John, wakes up, takes a shower, gets dressed, makes coffee, eats breakfast, lets the dogs out again, I have basically run a half marathon without ever leaving my house. John is very well organized, I am not.
I go from that flurry of pre-journey activity to driving John to work, which I enjoy. It is my quiet time except with lots of talking with John and singing. Yes, I sing off-key, loud and make up my own words. Yes, John loves me anyway. I drop him off, then drop the car off to get fixed. Since I have some work to do, but I really don’t want to do it, I decide to go shopping before I pick John up for lunch. Target, Marshall’s, then over to Tim Horton’s for a cup of coffee and a bit of free wifi and work. After lunch with John, I decided I would head over to the mall.
Now I haven’t been to the mall in about a year. I knew it would be crowded but it was hot out and I decided to brave it. Recently, John said he heard that Amazon was killing the mall, I am here to say that it is not just Amazon. Expecting a lot of people at the mall, I was shocked to find that there was hardly anyone there. Skeleton crews of employees at the big stores like JCPenney and Macy’s, and at the smaller stores only one or two employees. Most are stocking shelves or having conversations about something or other with someone or other and can not be bothered to acknowledge a customer. I noticed that racks are often over-stuffed, crowded and in general disarray. Messy over packed stores with just one customer is bad, but imagine now with a lot of customers. Like maybe Christmas time. It would be a nightmare.
Prices are high and clearance racks are overflowing. It is hard to find your size or any assistance whatsoever. I actually found a cute purse, it was about five or six inches across and I like small purses. It was $199.00. Not on sale and not on clearance. Seriously, I put that purse back where I found it quicker than dropping a hot potato. At Target I found a purse I liked that was $34.99, not on sale or on clearance. Hmmm. That is a big difference. I could get a whole outfit plus shoes that match the purse for less than just one purse at the mall.
But, the main reason I went there was to be cool on a hot day. Nope. Should have stayed at Target where it was nice and cool. The mall was hot. Why? We are having a small heat wave and the mall is not able to keep us cool. I left and went to a different Target. They might have different stuff. They did. It was good.
So today it is still hot and I have to go back to Columbus. Repeat morning routine. But the difference is that today, I decided to go to the library. I found out that they have free wifi and thought it would be quiet and I could get a lot of work done. So off I go.
When I was growing up and went to the Ida Public Library in Belvidere, Illinois, it was always the perfect temperature and it smelled like books. There was always a librarian that said “Shh!” if there was too much noise. Food or drink was not allowed in the building; there was a water fountain if you were thirsty. A large central card catalog which was supposed to tell you exactly where the books were exactly located according to the Dewey Decimal System, I often would just roam the aisles and find a book that looked interesting. There were stacks of books that seemed to go right up to the ceiling on every floor, except the basement, that is where the children’s books were and kids were unable to reach that high. There were no cell phones or computers at that time. All you could do was do your work or read a book in the quiet, in the solitude. Old school. Word.
I arrived at the Hilliard branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library about fifteen minutes after it opened at 9:00 am, let me tell you I was surprised. The parking lot which is large enough by my rough estimate able to hold about 150 or more cars, was almost half full. I walk in expecting that soft smell of books worn by touch and soft light. Instead, there is a row of computers to use for self-checkout and to use to locate a book. There are even baskets for you to hold the books you want to check out. I look around for a place to sit and realize the first floor is really busy. There is even a cafe where you can have coffee and a bagel or get a sandwich for lunch. But not chips you are not allowed chips. You can have vegetable straws instead. I notice the cafe even sells souvenir t-shirts, pins, shopping bags, and travel coffee mugs.
I head upstairs. Most of the second floor is really quiet, as people are in the meeting and study rooms. I locate a spot near a window and an outlet for my laptop. I felt that I scored a good one on this location. Others soon follow as this really is a good spot. Ugh. I also realize that the library is a very noisy place. Children are no longer excited to just go look at the books and pick one that their mommy will read to them later, computers for toddlers are where it’s at now. Children still like story time at the library, but story time is announced over the intercom system for everyone to hear.
After a short while, a woman with three large designer tote bags and an extremely large purse and a computer bag sits at a table next to me. She is loud. From her brightly colored shirt to the way she bangs on her keyboard, I think maybe I should move. Then her phone rings. I thought for about a half of a second that she would put the phone on silent and let it go to voicemail or at the very least whisper a “hello?” and run to get outside or step into a room not being used. No such luck. This woman proceeds to have a very loud conversation for about five minutes. The thing is voices carry really well in a building that is as open as this one is. I am sure that everyone on the first floor, as well as those of us on the second floor, heard this conversation. I had hopes the librarian would swoop in and tell her “Shh!” It didn’t happen. I left for a bit of lunch in the cafe without potato chips only vegetable straws (I have never had one, they may or may not be good for you, but at my age, I think I will stick with potato chips. They are a vegetable too.) Luckily when I came back she was gone.
When I used to go to the mall one of the best things to do was people watch. Today at the library, sitting in a comfortable chair in front of a window, enjoying really amazing air conditioning, I am people watching… and working. There seems to be a never-ending stream of people wanting to come to the library. I realize that the library is taking the place of the mall. The mall was a place of social interaction, where you could enjoy time perusing the aisles and finding a movie to watch. Someone once told me that libraries are a thing of the past. This truly saddened me. How sad is it that children will no longer learn the love of a good story, students not able to find the research for their essay and adults just wanting to find a good book. However, today I learned that the library from my past has grown and met the 21st-century head-on. It did not shrink and quietly die in the darkest corner, it has bloomed and become more than most would have thought possible.
So, please visit your local library, get your library card and remember “Shh!”