The Lack of Location during Quarantine
by Duchard

It is difficult adjusting to change during this time, and not having access to places that we consider to be a home away from home of sorts. Whether this place is a church, the office, or even a chair outside of a barbershop. Said places hold memories and have value to someone. A place that holds the most memories for me that is no longer available would be my neighborhood library. Now, I know that might seem boring to those who might say that the recreational park, the mall, the arcade, or other places would be more interesting, but that library and I go way back. I recall the first time I went to Lamond Riggs Library. It was around the middle of fall in 2007. My father had taken me there to brush up on my reading skills after my teacher suggested I would benefit from hunkering down and absorbing some material other than comic books.

That day, I went to the kids section of the library and looked at those tall bookcases and saw how intimidating they were in size, and, even worse, the infinite number of books that were side by side. As I walked row by row, I carefully observed each row and section, pronouncing the titles of the books that the library thought kids my age would be interested in. I have to admit that, at the time, their ideas were not too appealing. I mean, if I saw Harry Potter and Percy Jackson on TV, there is no way I am going to read about it now. Then, I stopped at a book that caught my eye: Theodore Boone The Kid Lawyer by John Grisham. I picked it up and took it to the front desk to check out. There, the  librarian who I expected to be some vicious old cow with yellow teeth and an insult for every living thing, turned out to be a nice African-American woman by the name of Karen. Karen prompted me and asked, “Where is your library card young man?” to which I replied, “I do not have one,” and she quickly remarked, “Well, let us get you one then,” with a wide smile.

After that, I went home and was told to read by my father. I sat in the living room by the stairs and read quietly and could relate so well to this kid who might have been my age then. Though both of my parents were not lawyers like Theodore’s, I still had similar experiences with friends, family, and school. Moving forward to the present day, I still remember the number of my card off the top of my head, and the image of it. I still frequent that library, though not recently due to unforeseen events. But hey, there are other ways to obtain books. Now, as a substitute for the library, I have audible and kindle books which are coming in quite handily if I do say so. Though the library may not be accessible to me or others who go there, it is still a place I remember well. I am looking forward to getting back once things are normal around the country.