Don’t Know What You Got Until It’s Gone

No, this is not a tribute to 80’s Hair Metal Band Cinderella. Rather, it’s a reminder to appreciate and take advantage of the opportunities you have now

A couple of days ago the city of Philadelphia announced that because of state budget issues, ALL Philly libraries will be closing as of October 2nd.

This sucks.

I love the library. Actually, I love books, and wandering around bookstores is a favorite activity of mine. The problem is that when I do that I feel a compelling urge to spend money. Then, one day a few years ago, I discovered the wonder that is the Free Library! I could walk around as long as I want, and I could check out anything I wanted without spending a dime! It actually took me a while to switch from “bookstore mentality” where I would think long and hard about whether I really needed a book, to “library mentality,” where I would just grab and checkout anything that looked remotely interesting.

Not only did I save a lot of money, but I introduced myself to many genres and subjects that I never would have otherwise. Books on science, health, politics, business, motivation, and religion. Random books on things like the history of punctuation. Even a couple of “chic lit” books I enjoyed (I’m man enough to admit that I enjoy the female-centric comedic stylings of Meg Cabot…). None of these would have passed the “do I really need to buy this book test,” but I feel enriched now for having read them.

And now it’s all going away, and I’m wishing I had taken out and read many more.

It’s possible that something will happen with the budget to keep the libraries open. It’s also likely that even if they do close that they will eventually re-open. And to be fair, my life will go on – though I plan on sending a letter to the legislature. Not just selfishly; I think that public libraries are a fantastic community resource.

(NOTE: In the 24 hours since I started writing this article, the state passed a bill that will keep the libraries open. Actually, they passed a more general bill that will keep a lot of Philadelphian employed, including the 700 or so police officers that were going to get laid off. Victory!)

The state’s action is great, but doesn’t alter the point of this post. For a while there, I thought that something I really loved but was kind of taking for granted was going away. And then I started to care. H

How many other things are going on right now in our lives that we are not fully appreciating? There’s the obvious one we all know: relationships. Time is precious, and it’s important to not lose sight of the moments we have with friends and family now.

There are many other, less obvious things that you may not be appreciating now, but you will when they are gone. The library. Your health. The free time (however much or little that may be) that you have now. That great local restaurant or coffee shop you assume will always be there. Some of the great musicians, comedians, and artists you have the opportunity to see live. That awesome (and cheap) bottle of 2004 Shiraz that is going to get harder and harder to find.

There is a school of thought that says if you want to be happier, just spend some time every day appreciating and being grateful for the things you have. Not a bad idea. Try it now. Look back over the last week and take notice of how many things you took for granted that you could or should be appreciating.

And get to the library before they threaten to close it again!!

P.S. Ok, we can make this post is a little bit of a tribute to 80’s Hair Metal Band Cinderella: