make me a library

Source: Photography Served

Came across this photo on Tumblr and staring at it brought me back to winter in Australia, 2006. I had a lot of time on my hands, exploring Perth on my own, and when my feet retired there was always the library willing to take me in. On my first week, I was so jumpy I didn't know where to start. I shuffled between the city library and the state library, browsing through endless aisles of these hardbound goodies. I eventually found my spot in a cozy corner in the city lib, where the librarian was a friendly Vietnamese lady who offered me a permanent resident borrowers card because I was there every single day.

The extent of modern and updated titles is amazing. None of those forgotten pieces about to fall apart, but a lot of new releases hot off the press. I love the smell of freshly bound paper, just like how coffee addicts react to hot brewed coffee. On my first visit, I thought I was in a bookstore as they had almost every single magazine to suit a wide variety of interests, they even had Instyle! I wonder when the Philippines would consider spicing up the National Library. That would be the day.

Libraries, and some select bookstores for that matter, always make me feel safe. Enough of this daydreaming, back to work.

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"You've got to love libraries. You've got to love books. You've got to love poetry. You've got to love everything about literature. Then, you can pick the one thing you love the most and write about it."

- Ray Bradbury

urgent emergency

Cliches only become what they are - overused, familiar, unoriginal - because they apply to almost everyone. Try to get to the bottom of it, and you'll be able to relate at one point or another.

My Dad sent me an email this morning, and it was about an analogy on life we've heard before. But I guess things can have a different effect on you, depending on your current state of mind, where you are in your life. If I read this 5 years ago, I'd probably have a slightly varied take on it.

Sharing an excerpt:

"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling five balls in the air - WORK, FAMILY, HEALTH, FRIENDS & SPIRIT.

You will soon understand that WORK is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other 4 balls - FAMILY, HEALTH, FRIENDS, SPIRIT - are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for it.

Work efficiently during office hours and leave on time. Give the necessary time to your family, your partner, your friends, and proper rest."

We're all caught up in the rush that is called work. We always complain about time, the lack of it and how it goes by too fast. We always reason out that we're too busy for this and that, but we're all aware that's never an excuse. Before we know it, we've missed out on life. Let's all try to slow down and focus on what really matters. Now there's your cliche.

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"I can't explain the urgency, it's an urgent emergency."

- Urgent Emergency, Cara Beth Satalino