Hanging Ten With "Societies Decrepit"

The G20 has been splashed all over our TV, everyone has an opinion now, and everyone wants their two cents. Bob Geldof had his and accused us of “sucking on the tit of free money”. I have no real opinion on Mr Geldof, I was fortunate enough hold a ticket for Live 8, but his daughter also kept bumping into me at a gig in Brixton, consequently spilling my cider more than once, in my mind that would reason enough for a passionate grievance if I wanted. Back to the point though, he is probably not that far of the mark. The comment itself was probably a less eloquent version of comments made in the wake of the Lloyds scandal of the 80’s http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20040705/ai_n12798932/. Money making goes in peaks and troughs, but I think no matter what the climate, someone is always missing out. Never having had any money I’ve not really invested that much thought into until now.

The Global Financial Crisis, or GFC recently saw me take stock of my spending. I love books; I buy them a lot, at a faster rate than I can actually read them, but no matter. In the current climate however, I took check of this and decided it was time to pull back, this pulling back saw me return to my local library.

I spent a good deal of my teenage years in Penrith City Library researching Tutankhamen, Botticelli, Coleridge the big three of the history, art and literature spheres for pimply, awkward teenagers. It wasn’t that I hated school, I loved learning, but school is a harbour for a lot of crappy memories, especially after four years spent at an all girls Catholic school that reasoned ‘no point’ in offering work experience week to us, an exciting and liberating option offered at the male college down the road, but I digress.

I hadn’t set foot in Penrith City Library since I was a student, I expected an influx of god awful memories, but neigh, the library still smelled the same and on the shelves was an abundance of knowledge just waiting for me to pick up, all at the expense of Penrith City Council. While they may not fix the roads, they do have a great collection of Myth Busters and I challenge anyone to deny the programme merit (see what I did there?).

I enjoyed myself so much, I went back again, returned my book and got another. I watched on as a dad sat there with a copy of Meg and Mog teaching his little fella (child, not winkie) to read, an elderly couple learning Chinese and an attractive chap looking up music sites I walked past more times then was absolutely necessary. The library is a mash of faces and circumstance, I like that; it's a world until itself!

My chum worked in the public library service for a few years and talks for hours of the various benefits and wonders hiding in the local book emporium, she even had a library themed party. For years I listened and never paid attention, I casually stepped out of a bar debate with an offensive, jaded and unsurprisingly coked-up, Sydney lawyer who questioned the existence of public libraries suggesting that it was only good for, and please allow me to be polite here, societies decrepit (insert conclusions here). This is for her (the chum not the coked up neo-nazi) go to your local library…it’s good for the soul, unspoiled and decrepit alike!

P.S. Not to make light of the GFC and all that palaver, but seriously, best online shop ever! http://www.iwantoneofthose.com/