Living like a local: Finding good stories
Life is long. We live many different lives, and it amazes me to look back.
As children we learn to walk, play, read and write. This leads into adolescence where we start to feel independent, and we think we have finally learned everything. Some friendships morph into relationships, and play dates turn into parties.
Then there is college where we actually gain some independence, although there is probably still a parent safety net. We may have left our hometown for school and begin to realize that we haven’t actually learned everything, but we still think parties are fun. There is the comforting knowledge that with graduation there is a guarantee of a terrific well-paying job with lots of benefits. All of our hard work and studying is coming to an end, and it will now be smooth sailing.
When we graduate, we find ourselves waiting tables and paying for student loans. We may move to another state or town. Some of the lucky ones will throw in some traveling. Our travels may include hostels and backpacks. We can easily make new friends, and yes, parties are still fun.
After working various service industry jobs we may land a “real” job. We get some grown-up clothes and get some makeup without glitter. We may get our own apartment, dates may turn into marriages, our co-workers become our friends. Our new city becomes our home. Our childhood home becomes a place we visit.
When we think about it, the craziness and unpredictability of our 20s was the best, but we also have no desire to live it again. We like knowing we can buy groceries and maybe fly to a place and stay in a hotel. We thought random and huge parties were fun, but now we prefer get-togethers and book clubs.
Just when we start to get used to our adult lives and have settled into being a family, BAM, the kids are grown and unbelievably they are off to college, leaving home and beginning their own adult lives. What happened? What do we do now? Time is funny that way; a decade is a minute, and a minute can be a decade.
While our lives may go through many stages and the places in which we live may change there is always a constant that we can count on. We can rely on it for advice, knowledge and entertainment wherever we find ourselves. This magical and wonderful thing is reading!
Books have always been in my life; I love to get lost in a story. I can live anywhere and have books. How, you ask? Great question, and the answer is libraries!
Wilmington is obviously not special from any other place for having access to books. Most towns should have a library and hopefully a bookstore. If you are moving here, you should find the one closest to you.
We are fortunate to have multiple library locations. All our locations host community events, reading and workshops. Our libraries are filled with books, audiobooks, magazines and movies. When I first moved here after college the library was one of the first places I visited. I did not go to search for the great American novel, but on a mission to really understand football. I figured I would need to hold my own when watching in a city where Friday Night lights are a real thing. Vermonters enjoy football, but it is nothing like the South. The library did not let me down, and I learned the players don’t actually want to run smack into the middle of the crowd of defenders. The announcers should explain that. Anyway, the library is good for everything!
Wilmington has multiple library locations. We have a downtown branch, Carolina Beach, Pine Valley and one on Military Cutoff Road is an excellent resource for any and all events. It’s also a good place to reserve books or renew books.
Our lives are long and full of experiences and changes. We may choose to live close to home or move around the world. One thing we can always count on is the library.
