I recently visited my local public library and got a library card. I walked in and sheepishly explained to the nice librarian that yes, I used to have a card (issued in 1994, when I was but a wee lad) but alas: it's gone missing. No, I don't remember my card number either. And no, I really haven't used the library system in a while. She seemed slightly amused, which I appreciated, because I thought the whole thing was a bit funny too. Purged from the rolls As it turns out I was purged due to inactivity, and needed to get set up with a new account. Also, I'm still bummed that I can't find my original library card - I'm pretty sure it's just misplaced in my house somewhere...I've been keeping that thing for far too long for it to go missing like that! Along with my new card, I was provided with a number of pamphlets advertising the various events and services provided. A lot of it was familiar, but there were some new additions too. I don't know why, but I was surprised to see they even had a phone app. This makes me realize that I probably haven't reserved anything since the smartphone era began. Yikes. I'm actually embarrassed by this. I don't know why I stopped using the public library. I didn't stop reading; in fact, I probably read just as much now as I've ever done in the past. I look around my home office and I see more books than I want, and certainly more than I need. Some of these mean something to me; I have read them many times, and will probably read them again. Most, though? Nothing. Why am I buying these? I do like supporting my local bookstores. But I think that I will also like supporting my local public library. Perhaps I will become a patron or a "friend" of the library. They have a nice program for supporters. They do good things for the community and have likely been hurt by the actions of our current administration. We used to wait As I get older, I feel that certain parts of my life are speeding up. I spend more time thinking about the past and less time thinking about the future. Part of this is probably related to the nature of the times we are living through, but I don't think that's the whole story. I think that I need more to look forward to in life. Perhaps this is why I am surprisingly excited by the prospect of putting books on hold and waiting for them to become available. I don't need or want instant gratification or expedited two day delivery. In a world that can often feel frantic, something a simple as checking out books from the public library may be a small way to slow things down a bit. ~nullish