Monday, July 19, 2010

To Kill A Mockingbird

Several weeks ago, I watched the segment on CBS Sunday Morning, about the festivities on the 50th anniversary of the publication of To Kill A Mockingbird. I couldn't remember ever having read it. And I loved the movie! I had gotten out of the habit of checking out books from our library, but with the ecomnomy like it is, and really not wanting to buy a copy, I marched down to the library. I had to get help finding it, but the librarian was extremely nice. She explained it was on the reading lists for schools, and might not have a copy. She did find a ratty PAPER BACK....., I asked might she have another copy. She replied "maybe in the large print section". So we looked, and sure enough, this great big RED hardback. The OLD curmudge would check out a "large print" book. I thanked her profusely, and went to get a card, and check out......
Southern Curmudgeon's story will now commence.....no not about getting the card, well partially....We went through all the rules, check out times, what they had, when she informed me that the computer was down. She kept trying, and trying.......so I thought, I'll just go find a nice quiet area, and read some till the computer was up.
Well, what was I thinking. I went down to an area over looking a nice sunken garden, and got into the book.......when all of a sudden conversations started, and not the sneaky quick whispers I remembered from highschool when we went to the library to "study". No these were loud, even across the room discussions. I wondered where the old librarian was that used to constantly shhhhhhhhsssssssssh us over the top of her readers. I can see her to this day. I saw a guard ambling through and I thought he'd certainly tell them to be quiet........HE just jumped into conversing with them!
I went to check on the computer, it was still down, so I left to come back after lunch to get my card and book. Got the book later, and after supper, sat down for a good read, and noticed in the front, a disclaimer that the book was noted to have "damage". I didn't think anymore about it and started to read. Each page seemed to be worse than the one before! Rips, peices of page missing. Major underlining and noes written in margins and around words. I know I hold books pretty much in awe. I've always respected mine and other peoples books. I hate to borrow someones books about as much as I hate to lend them. The Curmudge just got his latest "things just aren't what they used to be" reality check.
Just where is that old librarian, anyway!

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