so i checked out this book, read it slowly (out of style for me) and had to renew online. my renewed due date was jan 20, on which day i was in bend waiting to meet a friend who is massively pregnant... waiting for her to call... waiting so long i thought surely she was having the baby because why else would she ditch me? (turns out her 10 minute doctors appointment turned into a 2 hour appointment.)
anyhow, i ran out of errands to do so harvey and i were sitting in the car outside the library for a good 25 minutes, just chilling. i finally got out, put harvey on the leash, and we walked to the front of the library. i dropped the book in, read the instructions that say "deposit two at a time", and thought to myself "what if you only have one book? then what are you to do?" and chuckled to myself. i opened the slot a second time to make sure that the book dropped in all the way (an obsessive habit that i thought would pay off, but turns out it isn't worth the extra second and a half).
anyhow, all this story climaxes when i start to get emails last week from the library saying that the book is now overdue and would i please be a good library patron and bring it back to them ASAP. what?!? i am not a book thief! i got two of these emails and then called to inform them of the vivid memory i have of returning the book and that i KNOW it is there. they said they would check and let me know. just now i get an email that it is not on their shelves and would i please search my house and car again. ahh! a perfect library record ruined. and i am pretty certain that all of this is coming back around to bite me because i was critical of my friend megan's library patronage and misuse this summer, ridiculing her for accruing over $15 in fines.
the book was the tree of yoga, which was supposed to teach me let things go and to seek harmony within myself. i am unsure that iyengar (the author) knew the feeling that plagues me of having a tainted library record, otherwise i am sure he would have dedicated a chapter to forgiving yourself, and the library.
4 comments:
Sorry that even as a good library patron the system screwed you over. Hopefully they'll find it...
Even though I work at a library I still accrue tons of fines. Which is why I usually buy books, which is not that much better because then I'm spending the money I could put towards fines...I'm rambling. Love you!
maryann, i was actually thinking that maybe if you worked at the deschutes county library (they have a branch in sunriver i think) then i would have a friend "on the inside" who could help me.
Um, I love this. I also have a library story that I feel is quite timely.
Once I borrowed a CD from the SPU Library via the search-the-world's-libraries program. I never listened to it, but it was on the floor when my roommate's friend came stomping into our dorm room. He stepped on it. The case snapped. The CD was not damaged, however, and I returned it. I was prepared to give the library this idiot's ID number. But they never called. And I'm slightly relieved, slightly guilt-ridden.
The End. :)
When you move out of your place onto your next phase in life you will find that library book and feel so bad for posting on the internet that you returned it- really returning it was a figment of your imagination! J/K! How are you doing? Sounds like you're keeping busy with work...grad school applications...should I be saying any prayers for you? You can send Harvey to Jamaica and I'll let him herd all the sheep, goats, and cattle he can find :) So kind of a heads up- we're probably going to be in Idaho visiting our family and friends sometime in August for about a month! We would love to see you- I know it's a long ways out but I want to give you a heads up so you can start making plans :) If it doesn't work out I totally understand! Anyways I hope you're doing frickín AWESOME! I miss you like crazy and esp. miss our Starbucks coffee stops and bickering about res. life. Man those were the days....love and miss you like crazy!
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