15 January 2013

Simply a moment

I fall through the door of the library, my full bag swinging, the cold wind propelling me inside to the warmth.
I am grateful for the walk up the hill. I like the time to think and plan. I feel I can work better away from my desk and the distractions of my room. 


I like this library. It is in the school of education and feels far less intimidating than the main university library. They haven't yet done away with the self scanning machines and you can still take your book to be stamped at the desk. 

I wend my way through the silence and the shelves. I have a list of books and numbers, scribbled hastily on the back of an envelope in my hand.  I am searching for the right aisle and eventually I find it. 

I pull the heavy book out and inwardly groan at how many pages this is going to be to read and note. I turn to the table  nearest me and pull up a chair. 


Time passes, the room is warm. The ink pens skits across the page, words glistening as they are formed. I look up out of the tall windows and see that the sleet that I walked to the library in, has turned to fat flakes of snow. 

I allow myself a few minutes to sit and stare at the grey sky as the snow gets heavier and then I turn back to my reading. 

Another half hour goes past and I untwist my cramped legs. I am getting bored now and look up again. The snow is still falling but now it is just a mass of white. I reflect that I have neither a scarf or wellies with me. I decide I better head off soon before I slide down the hill rather than walk. 

The same draft that pushed me into the library hits my face as I open the door. Flakes fall into my eyes and my shoes crunch on the settled snow. 

The world is white. And I set off back down the hill on what feels like a very different path. 

Today I am joining in with Alexa's lovely meme, "Simply a Moment". Do stop by her blog and join in. 

11 comments:

scrappyjacky said...

This took me right back to my uni days,Abi!!
And the snow looks so beautiful.....but I'm glad it's there and not here.

Barbara Eads said...

I loved your moment---and so relatable. The photos you posted are so beautiful.

debs14 said...

A lovely moment Abi. The snow looks especially beautiful where you are.

Lou said...

beautiful photos and moment abi x

Maria Ontiveros said...

Oh, I remember those days. This really took me back to the snows of Ithaca,N.Y. and some of my favorite libraries at Berkeley.
Just lovely!
Rinda

alexa said...

A beautifully written and photographed moment, Abi, which swung me right back to my own student days. How lovely to be jogged into remembering the warm stillness of libraries - thank-you ... Your pictures are very pretty - the Mum in me is hoping you made it home with dry feet! So very touched you have found/made the time to record your moment and share it with us :).

Missus Wookie said...

Beautiful photos and images, I too like working in libraries - somehow that extra space is so useful. Glad you made it home o.k. and hope you finished the reading without being too bored.

Ladkyis said...

Thank you for sharing. I never had the experience of university, I chose agricultural college instead. A very evocative moment.

Becky said...

This is a lovely piece of writing. I was there with you! Hope your journey home wasn't too cold. Lovely photos.

Jennifer Grace said...

What a great moment to record. I wish I had discovered scrapbooking / photography before I went to Uni as I don't have many photos of Bath from my days there, your pictures are really atmospheric. x

Karen said...

Although it's been many, many years since at sat at Uris Library in the stacks, you've brought back the memories as if they were yesterday.