This week’s travels find us in Houston at the Alice McKean Young Library. The Young branch, located in Southeast Houston is a part of the greater Houston Public Library System. Shout out to the @111places crew for highlighting this gem in their collection of 111 Places to see in Houston.

For someone who writes as often as I do, I keep looking to find out why I am not a more voracious reader. To be a part of the craft, I am interested in learning from the experiences of others, though admittedly, I am by far a better consumer of media (specifically audio) than of text. I am trying to determine if this is just the way I am wired or if it is partly an affect of the times. I wonder how many more creatives may have emerged from a generation before mine if they had access to technology that we do now.

I didn’t spend loads of time at my local public library (The Looscan Branch, for those in the know), but I was able to depend on the system when in need for the occasional school research project. Libraries are important and the older I get, the better I am able to reflect on that. Libraries at their best act as community beacons that host more than the sum of storied collections on the shelves. Outside of the worlds’ one can travel with the flip of a chapter page, inside the center of the libraries are hosted workshops, community groups and relevant discussions to topics of the time.

I remember attending summer story time events as a small child. As a parent, I better understand the respite that such events provide. So, next time you are passing your local branch, stop in and catch up on ways that you can plug into the lifeblood of your community.

The track this week comes from Bob Marley, “Three Little Birds” which is a calming reassurance of a tune.

Last week I woke up before the sun rose, had a bottle of water and made my way into work. I felt the rush of making it in on time, only to be greeted with the information that the vacation request I had put in for in 2021 for the day had been approved. I was taken aback, but packed my things up and moved to enjoy a restful breakfast and a slower paced day. It wasn’t bright and shining, but it was on that day that I captured this photo at the branch. It was cold, windy and damp; the makings of the kind of photos that most people wouldn’t display. Yet, as I stood outside in the elements all I could simply and succinctly think was that no matter what “every little thing was gonna be alright.”

So, that is the kind of attitude that I am working on focusing on. Remaining thankful for each day I wake up with the rising sun, and not letting a little weather get in the way of singing a sweet song.

Until we meet again, take care of one another.