2/52: Walking to the library

I’m often dashing to the library with overdue books, trying to stuff them into the drop box minutes before opening time to avoid accruing even more fees. I actually like paying the small fines for books, but when I borrow movies I try to meet the due date– $2/day adds up quickly. So, this morning I needed to return Rachel Getting Married (still not sure what I think of it) by 10 am. On a typical day, I’d hop in my car and drive down the street to the Madisonville Library. But I didn’t feel like swiping the snow off my car. And I have never, ever walked to the library in my nearly 9 years of living 1.1 miles away from it. It seemed like an adventure waiting to happen.

With a backpack full of books and a movie, I pulled on my boots, put my dog Rusty on his leash, and headed out in the snow. On my way, I peered into the occasional glass storefronts, noticed the snow-covered Madisonville Community Garden tucked in between two buildings, and stopped nearly every 10 steps for Rusty to smell something new. (I’m less patient with his hound dog tendencies on our usual walks, but in honor of this adventure, I let him sniff away. I loved watching him poke his nose into the snow, sometimes up to his eyes. He’s so adorable!) I also entertained thoughts of future adventures that involved turning some of the boarded-up, abandoned buildings I passed into yoga studios or restaurants.

I’ve said many times that I’d love to live in a neighborhood where I can walk to most places I need to go. The reality is that I CAN walk to a number of places from my house, but out of habit or concern about time, I usually climb into my car. I hope that this adventure is the start of many more intentional walks, which can help me feel more connected to my community and also add some interest to an ordinary errand like going to the library.


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