I went to the Library again today.

I took my poles for walking.

Kristina said, “Phone? Wallet? Library card? Do you have everything you need?”

I said, “No.”

It’s the old joke I’ve been working to death for years. When people say, “Do you need anything else?” I say, “World Peace.” That elicits a response and can lead to conversation. I’ll keep saying it until.

So I took the usual route to the Library. I know the Librarians who work the desk, and they know me. I wish I could remember their names.

I had brought a Poster, promoted by a row of Poetry Sponsors listed at the bottom. The Poster was about National Poetry Month in April.

It was April. I said to the Library Woman, “I brought this in case you didn’t have it, and if you didn’t, now you do.”

She posted it.

Then I talked to the Library Guy who replaced her as they changed shifts. I steered the conversation to the Altadena fire and talked about our house. I was emotional.

The Library Guy at the counter, John? Steve? Was sympathetic. He said, “I don’t really know that area.”

A little boy came up to the counter. He was crying.

The Library Guy leaned over and asked at kid level, “Hey, Buddy, what’s wrong?”

The little boy with tears said, “My Parents didn’t come to get me.”

The Librarian said, “Don’t worry, they’ll be here, it’s still early, let’s wait over there,” and walked him over to the Children’s Area where kids were playing on the rug, some reading books. The little boy sat in a comfy chair and the Librarian came back.

I said, “This reminds me of the blog I posted recently,” and told him the whole story, “I need more commas.”

He said, “True story?”

I said, “No, but could be. I’m always trying to tell people what teachers do. And how teachers and librarians,” I gestured inclusively, “together can save the world.”

He may have said something like the usual, “I hear you.” A variation of “Hear! Hear!”

Then he went over to the computers where a little girl was having trouble getting her computer game going.

All the children in the library were well behaved, eager, not very noisy, many at computers, some reading books, some with parents checking out an armload.

I’m always happy in the library.

Then I went out the side door and decided to take the long way home. That involved climbing up the street which is a hill. I wanted to see more upper levels of the neighborhood.

I climbed and climbed and came to a parting of the ways. The main street kept climbing, but a tributary branched off to the left, level.

I thought, “I’ll go over to the next street and down to the main avenue closer to home.”

I walked down the level side street, which turned out to be a dead end cul de sac, and I had to turn around and go back the same way. By trying to save extra steps, I just doubled them.

I sat on a big rock in the parkway to catch my breath and rest a minute.

After a minute, I caught my breath and went on home.

When I got there, Kristina said, “Did you have adventures at the library?”

I said, “Always.”