Think of a childhood memory that depicted community, belonging, and learning. Now that you have the memory, lets explore it in a new way, be reflecting on these thoughts:
- What were the key elements of your memory?
- Are they attached to people who hold meaning in your life?
- Have you visited your experience in adulthood?
- Do you continue to live out your memory with your own children?
When I reflect on my memory, I think of my trips to the downtown Oakland library with my sisters.
Key elements of my library memory were the trip, time spent, and the bounty of books we left with at each trip. We always made it an adventure and stretched out our visit. We would leave home on the AC transit bus, from our neighborhood on 12th avenue, take the 15 bus downtown library, just past Lake Merritt, and it dropped us off in front. My joy was climbing the steps to the main library floor, and taking the elevator to the left, down to the children's section. That was really just to get my sisters settled, so that I could head back upstairs to the card catalogs massive displays, to browse and look for titles of books of interest. At this point, this had been our ritual for years, and now I was graduating to more distinct books and choices in the main floor collection.
This library experience is directly attached to my sisters, and our relationship with each other, and with every librarian we encountered.
As an adult, I revisit my time at the library with my sons, on a monthly basis. Each son, was introduced to the library at age 2. They received their library cards and learn to browse, choose books, videos, and the rules of the library. We visit the downtown library near our home, and the librarian knows us by name. This simple connection in our community provides a plethora of resource for each stage of development of my boys. At absolutely, no cost to the patron, we are given rich literary experiences and open doors to knowledge all over the world.
So revisit the questions above, and rediscover your community by extending a childhood experience into your daily life. Share your discoveries in the comments below, we would love to hear your story.
Kelly Ramsey
