Of all the unlikely places to join in a crowd waiting for something to open is the Vancouver Public Library. The central library does not open until 10 am on week days and I each time seem to get there 15 minutes before opening. It’s a mix of people waiting to get in the door – students, seniors, people who didn’t have somewhere to stay last night, the unemployed, and people trying to figure out where to return their books prior to opening.
I like the feeling of standing in this crowd – it isn’t Black Friday and waiting for an off-brand 42″ screen TV at Walmart – we are all equal here and not in a competition all waiting for the same thing. Free knowledge, refuge and belonging. New thoughts, old thoughts, new loves, old loves, beginnings, endings – there for all of us.
Once the glass doors roll back, the crowd doesn’t push through, but instead waits for the official announcement that the Library is open. By then, the crowd numbers more than 100 people, and we stream in – like a river and its tributaries quickly permeating each stack and floor.
I like the library. I feel that I need to be hushed and respectful in my visit. I get the same feeling in shrines, church, and temples. It feels warm and comforting, with possibilities of new worlds, thoughts, waiting for me. Perhaps I will find a new author that tells engaging stories like Maeve Binchy, or business book that has a new message. I can brush my fingers across realization of the hope of authors – a published book.
The March 21st Extra-Ordinary: A rainy day, a warm blanket and a new possibility to crack open.
The Daily EO 