The Library Center in Greene County, Missouri
(One of the larger library branches)
As a teen-ager, the town I lived in was very small.
There were a handful of gas stations and convenience stores, two or three smallish supermarkets, a consolidated school, one caution light midway through town, and an old white house that had been converted into the town library.
Our home was about four or five blocks from the library, and often, my parents would give me permission to walk there. (At that time, most kids my age walked everywhere, and crime in our area was nonexistent.)
Our town library was small, minimally decorated, and ohhh so quiet. It was a place of subtle mystery and sedate ambience. The furnishings were lackluster shades of beige and brown from what I recall, and they seemed to be a combination of attic cast-offs and gently used pieces that might have graced a hospital waiting room.
Though the colors in the little library might have been nondescript, the furniture was comfy, and the librarian was very friendly and helpful.
I could peruse the shelves of books for hours–I was a word nerd even back then. Carefully, I’d select a handful of mysteries, perhaps a biography or two, and an armful of romances. (Christian fiction hadn’t exploded into what it is now, but as a teen, I’m sure what I chose was pretty tame by today’s standards.)
Now, the local library is considered to be a pretty cool hangout.
Kids and teens can play board games and cards, surf the internet, and research in style. When I was a teen-ager though, it was a place where mainly the “bookworms” gathered. There was a certain stigma attached to whiling away one’s free time in paper-scented aisles. I suppose the mindset was this— why spend valuable moments of one’s youth with inanimate “friends” while others my age met up with the real deal down at the swimming pool?
Though funds are still tight and budgets have been slashed, today’s libraries are nothing like the one I used to frequent. I no longer live in the same town, but I understand that little library is no more. I think it may have been torn down in the name of progress.
In the library branches I have access to now, the buildings are contemporary and brightly lit with eye-appealing wall art and boldly colored furnishings.
The shelves are spacious, the rows generously wide, and each section meticulously marked with designated signs. There’s a coffee shop in the largest branch and a periodical room big enough to house an elephant or five. I enjoy the selection of reading material available and visiting the library still excites me.
As a child, I grew up devouring books.
I loved the feel of a book in my hands even then. I knew someday I, too, wanted to write the very stories that others would read. I wanted to create worlds that people could picture themselves in and long to return to.
Life as a bookworm has taught me something about writing.
It may not be brain surgery, but books teach the surgeon and we writers write those books.
And just as God guides the surgeon’s hands, the cycle of a bookworm continues…
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Has the written word made a difference in your life?
If you write, what’s your favorite part of the process?
If you’re a “bookworm” where do you prefer to read?
***
NOTE: In celebration of my upcoming 100th post, next Friday, I will hold a prize drawing (from comments left on next week’s blog posts.) Stay tuned…
Blessings Always,
Comments 11
I love this post, Cynthia. For one thing, it’s very well written. Clearly you’re not only a “word nerd,” but you’re also a wordsmith, using words with finesse.
Another reason I like this post is that it brings back memories of happy times spent perusing the shelves in the library looking for more books to devour. In my world, a trip to the library trumped a trip to the candy store. Stories were my treat.
Author
It’s so comforting to know, Keli, that there are others out there like me. To this day, it’s still a thrill to check out books! And to visit a bookstore? That’s an even bigger treat! To do both in the same day–heaven (almost!)
Thank you for your kind words. 🙂
Reading was one of my favorite things to do growing up. I would
curl up in one of our wing back chairs for hours, unable to stop
until forced by dinner or a chore that needed to be done.
First it was adventure, pick your own ending books, then it was
Frank Peretti books, then John Girsham won my attention. The last
few years, I’ve been captivated by Robin Cook’s medical thrillers.
I’ve always loved mysteries, especially the ones I thought I had
figured out, only to find the twist at the end a blindsiding blow.
Recently, I have been caught up by Christian romance, specifically
the Brides of Alba series by Linda Windsor. The first, Healer, was
awesome, and I can’t wait to read Thief. Of course, Cynthia,
yours is on my “must read” list, and I can’t wait for it to come
out! 🙂
Author
As a child, I read some the old “Trixie Belden” mysteries, then graduated to the more adult reads. I, too, have read some medical thrillers that leave me on the edge of my seat. (Have you tried author Richard Mabry’s series?) Biographies, matters of faith, Christian fiction–they all engage me. And of course, romances…ahhh. My heart and soul–of course. 🙂
And, Tanya, I’m waiting on a certain children’s book author’s new release one day.
I haven’t heard of Richard Mabry. I have to check out his books.
Thanks for the encouragement! 🙂
A lot of my reading is done on exercise equipment, but that’s not the preferred place. I’d rather have a nice comfy chair–which doesn’t exist in my house right now. I’d like to read in bed, but my neck can’t take that very long. I love pictures of old houses with a library and a huge chair that swallows a person. That would be my ideal place to read.
As to writing, my favorite part is tapping on the keyboard and watching the story appear before my eyes. Libraries and bookstores…what’s not to love? lol I liked your comparison to brain surgery!
Author
We have a library in our home, but would you believe, Patti, most of the shelves are occupied by our children’s books! (I’ve got mini TBR piles in many different places.)
No comfy chair to read in? Come with me, friend; it’s time I take you shopping! I’m great at spotting bargains! 🙂
I can so relate to this post, Cynthia! When I turned 13, we moved to a city, and our new house was only a mile from the library. I was allowed to walk there by myself, and I would take home stacks of books. That was when Harlequin had a teen romance line, Sweet Valley High was popular, and a Cheerleaders series came out. I also read classics I’d never been exposed to. I have so many good memories!
We live close to an enormous, state-of-the-art library now, and we head there often. My kids love the selection, the comfortable chairs, the DVD/music sections, and the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the river. It’s one of my favorite places, and I hope it’s my childrens’ too!
Author
Jill, I love the library, and it’s so nice to know that there are others who feel the same way! And I bet your children are voracious readers just like ours. Exposing them to the written word while they’re young opens a whole new world of opportunity.
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