on libraries

It seems like people are always updating their blogs about the books they read or recommendations of books they might have for others. I have nothing against that, and in fact, I thought about trying to write one myself (so that my blog would not always be about Tripp). But then I realized that would be futile seeing as though I really do not like to read and I actually have a pretty strong hatred of libraries. It all started in highschool when I would be studying away during study hall (read: trying to get a certain boy's attention while pretending to work on my homework). Then Ms. Peters the librarian come by and ask if I had gum in my mouth and of course I did, so I then I was always faced with a moral dilemma: do i lie and keep my piece of gum hidden under my tongue (seriously, I just put it in, it is such a fresh, juicy piece of gum. and you want me to waste that!?!) or should I tell the truth, get up and spit out my gum all while risking getting a detention for breaking the stupid "no chewing gum in the library rule." I will be honest- I was usually fifty-fifty on this one (and it usually was depending on if I could afford a detention that day- like if I had a game instead of practice so I didn't have to be somewhere right after school). Ms. Peters also made us be really quite and actually study. I am not sure what that was all about. I mean, come on, it was my senior year- I didn't think anyone was supposed to study their senior year. But she made us. So my hatred of libraries began slowly. Then in college, it grew. See, we were given SIP carels (little study places where we could work on our senior integration papers) and that was nice, but the library smelled. Sometimes it gave me a headache. And then that is when I realized that libraries are just a stop on the drug trafficing train. How is that, you ask? Well, let me tell you. It's quite simple. You know those little plastic flaps on the covers of books, well, drug dealers just slip in the drugs underneath those flaps and return the book to the library. Then they tell their compadre to go check out "The Grapes of Wrath" and lo and behold, when their friend gets the book, the drugs are right there under the cover. I know, it's a pretty genius idea, but it is illegal and it makes the library smell. So books and libraries and reading pretty much went to the bottom of my "things I like" list. Until Tripp was born. Then I was re-introduced to books. Granted they are kids books, but they are books none-the-less. And now that Tripp does some talking, his favorite thing to say is "Ahh More!" after we finish a book and are about to move onto the next. Well, since I don't like libraries, this reading habit was getting kinda expensive- since the only way to get books without a library is to buy them. And it was also getting really old to read all the same books over and over again. So seeing as we live one block from our municipal library, I thought it was time I sucked it up and got a membership (or whatever you call it there). Tripp and I bravely ventured out recently and went the library. And we checked out five new books. Five books! For free! And we even were encouraged by the children's librarian to sit in the rocking chair and read. Read aloud? In the library? I was shocked. But we did it. And we had fun (I think I was even chewing gum, but Miss Karen didn't even get mad). We went home with our books, read them over and over and then went back the next week for five more books. For free again! This time we even stayed and played with a few toys at the library. I even plan on going back this week, for more books. So while I am not ready to write any book recommendations for people (I will leave that up to the serious book worm in the family), I have to admit- my like of libraries is growing. Slowly but steadily. And I am looking forward to the day when I might possibly be able to write a blog post with my own book recommendations. Don't hold your breath though, seeing as though it has taken 28 years to get to this turn around point in my life, it will probably take another 28 years before I am ready to make any recommendations to the public.