Library

There are many firsts you are supposed to remember: your first kiss, your first day of college, your first apartment, your first D (erm...) and a recent article even said most women remember their first purse (not me, but I do remember my first makeup-- a gift for 8th grade graduation). What I do remember is my first library card. I lived in Oklahoma City, and as soon as I was able to sign my name, I was able to have a library card. I remember frequent trips to the library with a "limit" on books imposed by my mom. Summer was the most fun-- tons of free time to read all the young adult fiction and then move on to the adult fiction. I remember some traumatic evenings at the library during elementary school "researching" countries like India (average temperature, major exports, type of government, etc.) from the encyclopedias and world books.

I prefered the library for pleasure, not for deadline.

The deadline fear and procrastination persisted through high school, then college. I always got my work in on time, but alas, the books did not always befall the same fortune, languishing on my desk, or perhaps in my bag. Once a fee was assessed, I quickly retreated from the library and to the comfort of bookstores-- the price was more than the fee, but at least I could keep the books.
In an effort to exercise restraint on my budget and also because I pass the Boston Public Library at Copley several times a week, and finally because summer makes me think of the carefree days of checking out and reading fifteen books a week, I decided to reactivate my long lost library card, pay whatever fees there may be, and take advantage of this great public good. I showed up with my drivers license and a current piece of mail a few weeks back. The gentleman immediately pulled up my name, quoted my address from college and informed me that I had a fine of $5. Plus I'd need to pay $1 to replace the missing card. I sighed and thought if the library can keep such detailed records over time, why is there such a problem catching terrorists?
The receipt printout of the overdue, but ultimately returned, books, showed about six books checked out in May of 1999-- books on global warming, national parks, ecotourism. I recalled the classes I was taking then, my junior year, and remembered the A's and B's I received. Good old library card.