Without libraries what have we? We have no past and no future.

–Ray Bradbury

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Library

Escape

You know those days you need to get lost in a forest? Life’s been on you for a couple of busy weeks, and you’re not sure when it’s going to end. You just need to get away, somewhere without anyone. Or better yet, somewhere you can pick who to be with.

What if I told you there is a place that provides any number of escapes. You don’t just have one option (walk into the wood), but many: Choose a tree. A forest of escapes! A place where your thoughts and problems are in perspective; they can be compared to everyone else’s.

That’s right. I’m talking about a library.

Greatness

The place of the cure of the soul.

~Legendary profession of the ancient Library of Alexandria

I’d almost forgotten the magic of a library. It’s quiet, dusty, cool. The greatest thoughts of man fill the shelves, stretching from the farthest history to words first breathed yesterday. Thoughts about war, psychology, rhetoric. The great thoughts that one great man had about another.

I didn’t even open a book. I just scanned the titles. It was so wonderful to imagine what the books contained. And when I came out, my spirits were lighter than they’ve been for a long time.

I recommend it. Don’t even go in with any particular goal in mind. You’ll drift to the right section without even realizing it.

You might get lost. It’s quite a forest.