A Confession
Jim Sullivan
I'm
a happily married man who loves his wife dearly. However, I care
passionately for another. She's the public library! Yes, I'm
owning up to this affair. Perhaps some of you knew. Certainly,
my affection for this other has been apparent. A few of my friends
have accepted it. Others disapprove. Frankly, I don't care.
I've done nothing of which I'm ashamed. Besides, as some famous person
once said, "The heart knows not its reasons."
Okay,
the fact is, I'm in love with an institution housed in a building made
of bricks and mortar. I can't put my arms around it. I can't
even kiss it, caress it, or utter sweet words to it. But I'm quite
fond of that structure nonetheless. My heart beats rapidly whenever
I approach that facility. My pulse always quickens when I'm inside
it. On occasion there, my breath grows short. And I can never
get it out of my mind. If that isn't love, then what is it?
At
night, or during the daytime, when I'm not near this love of mine, I hear
it gently whispering in my ear: "Come see me. Step into my
reading room. Look at my tomes for as long as you want." Those
words are sirens' calls. I can't resist them. And I don't.
I'm complete only when I'm with her. Obviously, I'm head over heels
in love. So what's a guy going to do?
My
wife, bless her heart, is understanding. She knows all about this
other attachment of mine, and guess what? My spouse doesn't see the
library as threatening.
Of
course, I haven't told my mother yet. She might have a different
slant on this attachment. But, then, she's a retired teacher.
I can still recall her telling me, when I was a youngster, to "Read, read,
read!" So how could she object?
Not
surprisingly, I give the library little gifts from time to time to demonstrate
my affection. Sometimes I donate new books, other times small financial
contributions and, once in a while, used books for which the library staff
is looking. In such ways, I show how much I care.
When
I'm at the library, I love to roam her stacks. And boy, is she ever
stacked! Roving around her, I take her books in hand, feel their
hard-bound covers, admire their pretty colored dust jackets, and read their
immortal pages. In this manner, I fall more deeply in love with her.
Though
the library structure is a tad wide at the stairwells, her two stories
are extremely well built from top to bottom, front to back. Her portals
are wide opening, windows clean, and skylights admitting of bright, life-giving
sunlight. And her roof keeps out precipitation. In summer she's
cool and in winter she's warm. Moreover, with her abundant wares,
books, magazines, newspapers, music, art, videos, and computers on the
internet, this institution is endearing not only to me but to all who know
her.
Best
of all, I don't have to be silent, or even relatively quiet, in her presence.
But I must confess, dear reader, the library and I have been, well, on
intimate terms for more years than I care to count. Consequently,
one day soon, I'll have to confess this to my spiritual leader. He
might not be so understanding. On the other hand, he might care mightily
for the library, too. Then I will have a jealous man on my hands.
I'm speaking of myself, of course.
I'm
well aware that the library has a past. Its branch libraries are
all over the community. They're responsive, as they should be, to
the main public library about which I care so much. But I understand.
All relationships bring with them some baggage from the past.
I
must tell you that I have absolutely no desire to break off this relationship.
That's despite what other people might think. My love for the public
library shall go with me to my grave!![10x5 Page Background GIF Image](../../Images/10x5_Page_Background.gif)
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December 2008 |
Frontiersman, c/o
4984 Peach Mountain Drive, Gainesville, Georgia 30507 |
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