get off your horse and drink your milk

NB: this post was written well before the Covid-19 outbreak

Over the past few weeks I’ve found myself spending more and more time in my city’s central library.  It’s located in the building I used to work in and where I go for my photography group.  So, rather than spend my oh-so valuable time sitting in traffic, I leave a title earlier, miss the jams and pop in here.

It is a little strange coming back here and sitting mainly in the same seat I used to occupy when I’d come in here during my lunch break.

I’ve done all sorts of things here lately though.  Rather than just stare out at the sea like I used to, I mooch around looking at the art books, edit photos prior to my group meeting or write for this blog (obvs).  Oh, and I wrote the backbone of my recent landscape photography crash course here.

But it’s sometimes quite annoying in these surroundings.

I mean, I know times have changed, but libraries used to be a place you could go and work in near silence.  Not any more it seems.  And the worst offenders?  Sorry, but it seems too be the more “senior” library users.

It was never like this when I worked here, I can tell you.  And when I was a young lad, any talking in the local library led to a sharp “SSSSSHHHHH” from the librarian.  Or a clip around the ear.  Or was that from the local policeman?

Gene Autrey (he's on the right)

I digress.

This evening I’ve had to listen to two chaps arguing over the name of Roy Rodger’s horse.  No really, I have.  I wouldn’t mind, but neither knew the answer and they got progressively louder as their frustrations at not remembering heightened.  And when one did finally hit on Trigger, instead of it resulting in my instant relief, Trigger was summarily dismissed by the other as belonging to Gene Autrey.

Gene Autrey?  Did he even ride a famously named horse?  Whether he did or not, I bet at least he new how to behave in a library.

Darn varmints.