Libraries: The medicine chest of the soul. ~Library at Thebes, inscription over the door

I am grateful for the public library. That is an understatement of gigantic proportions. To this day I remember the very first time I walked into a library, it was the downtown branch of the Fort Worth Public Library System, and I was amazed at how many books there were, and the whole loaning concept just boggled my mind. All those books could be mine, even if for just a short time, and all I had to do was ask, and ask I did.

I was an avid reader as a child, my love affair with books began when a RIF book mobile showed up in the parking lot of the shopping center my mother frequented. RIF, which stood for “reading is fundamental,” was such a great concept. Show up in a colorful bus filled with books and let children take one home for free. By the time I entered elementary school I had my own library of free RIF books, which I eventually passed on to my nieces.

Then there were my adolescent years, when my sister got what I considered a dream job working at the newly built main branch of the Fort Worth Public Library System. This meant that during the summer, while she worked, I would get to hang out in the library all day long under her watchful eye. The library over the years had become my temple, a place to go and worship the written word.

After my weight loss surgery, I found that I was once again able to read and not fall asleep before I finished one single page. Due to my obesity, I had developed sleep apnea, and was constantly exhausted, so anytime I would even sit down and attempt to read a book, my eyes would soon close. But losing over eighty pounds this far, has cured that. I now get a restful five to six hours of sleep each night.

Now that I can read again, I ventured down to the West Sahara branch of the Clark County Library system, and signed myself up for a card, and I have been once again worshiping at my favorite alter, finding inspiration hidden deep within the Dewey decimal system.

So, here it is I present to you, my 2008 book reading challenge. I have set up for myself a goal to read at least 1 book a week for the next year. If you choose to follow along, or are just interested in what I am currently reading, or have planned on reading in the near future, you can do so HERE.

I am grateful for the public library, who, because I only asked, will let me have all the free books I want, even if only for a short time.

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