A Visit to The Library

So, yesterday I found myself at a local library.  Yeah, yeah, I know.....with Amazon Prime and the internet, what am I doing at the library? Just stay with me here...

A trip to the library always gives me a feeling of nostalgia. Back when I was a kid, I used to spend countless hours in our local Enoch Pratt library. There, I read about childhood heroes like Brooks Robinson and Evil Knievel while escaping from elements of the hot, humid Baltimore summer. I would sometimes "prepare" for an afternoon baseball game by reading up on how to throw a curve-ball or on the best approach in the batter's box. I'm not sure if any of these really helped me, but I always entered the game thinking that I had a clear mental edge over the competition.

Anyway, back to the present......

I walk into the local library yesterday and I'm almost knee-capped by two little rugrats who have transformed the entrance into their own little playground. Scattered books occupied the floor as the kids danced around them. The parents were nowhere to be seen. If John Walsh happened to walk in, they would have gotten a serious tongue-lashing. I gingerly step over a screaming kid and make my way toward the main area.

Surprisingly, the place is bustling with activity on this Saturday morning. I was somewhat surprised and began to wonder if they were giving away free McMuffins or something of the sort.

I made my way over to the audio-book section. Spending a ridiculous amount of time on any given week in DC traffic, I'll try almost anything to help ease the pain. Since drinking behind the wheel is heavily frowned upon, I rely on audio-books and music to help pass the time. The is where the library can be a valuable yet economical resource. Sure, I can afford to buy my own books and music. But since I pay a boatload of taxes to help fund the public libraries, why not use them? Call me frugally cheap but I'm ok with it.

As I pass through a seating area, I hear a group of older men have an loud, animated conversation. I guess they didn't get the memo about the library being a quiet place. These guys reminded me of the senior citizens that hang out all day at the Dunkin' Donuts. Of course, this gives ever more credibility to my McMuffin give-away theory.

These guys were yucking it up like they were at a corner bar during the corn-hole finals. Amazingly, even though they could be heard throughout the library, no one really seemed to be bothered by their commotion. As one of them would make a comment that dangerously toed the line of "offensibilty", the others would slap him on the back and laugh like they were listening to Richard Pryor.

And then, just when you think things couldn't get any louder, one of the guys' phones rings. It wasn't just any ring either. The piercing tone reverberated through the room like it was being blasted out of a Marshall stack. And then, in between laughs, the guy retracts the phone out of his pocket and announces, "Shit man!, Sorry guys, I gotta take this."

I can only imagine what revolutionary business deal awaited on the other end of the virtual line. Well, everyone would soon know. The guy answered the call and put it on speaker phone! As the guy initiates the one-on-one call, it soon becomes a conference call as the other members of the Breakfast Club began to chime in. At first, my reaction was WTF. But it soon transitioned into a comedic episode worthy of a Saturday Night Live skit. These guys were oblivious to any one else in the room. If these guys were having this good of a time at the library, I can only imagine what kind of party they throw at the Dunkin' Donuts.

I just shook my head as I gathered my items. I could still hear their slapstick routine as I walked out the door. I can hardly wait to see what's in store for me on the next visit....

kw