30 Days of Gratitude: Day 6 -- Libraries

Green Valley Jungle Gym Remnants
2007 Marlow Heights, MD
____________________________________

30 Days of Gratitude

Day 6: Libraries

In the 70s they came up with a new clothing size term for kids like me: husky. Unlike the hauntingly blue-eyed gray (or brown) furred, four footed animal that shares the name, this type of husky meant somthing different. Fat. Not just "overweight" nor "heavy" but fat.

Growing up as a fat kid I didn't feel very accepted in a lot of places nor by a lot of other people. Kids can be, and frequently are, cruel and anything that makes someone stand out as different is easy fodder for insults and comments meant solely to hurt and ostracize. Add to that the fact that I was "smart" and it was a double-whammy.

I don't know if its fair to call my group of elementary school friend "misfits" (is it, amlaped?) but I we were all well past the fringes of The Popular Crowds and way on the outside of things. We did, however, realize the importance and need for acceptance amongst ourselves and it was with that idea that we all got along relatively well.

One of the places I felt comfortable and accepted was always The Library. Whether it was my elementary school library or any one of the various public libraries in PG County, The Library was not only a safe place, but a place full of possibilities and where my weight and my age didn't seem to matter all that much. I was just another Patron, just like everybody.

It continues on like this for a while. Feel free to move along or ( click on through to the other side... )

...