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May 20, 2022: Time and Time Again

The older we get, the faster time goes by. This is just an illusion because quite obviously, time itself is not speeding up. Rather, it’s our perception of it. The downside is that good times go by a bit too fast. The upside is that bad times go by a bit too slow.

Spring goes by a bit too fast, too. Here, because of the increase in light, this is intensified. Already, in town, tulips are in bloom and the dandelions are in their prime. Of course, I would like to slow time in relation to spring down some.

I was in town today, at what’s called Friday Fling, a community event in downtown Palmer where vendors sell their wares. The book project is situated on one side of the museum, facing a wide grassy expanse. We’ve been spared being wedged between a corndog vendor and a funnel cake vendor. In fact, I

have not felt the need to go and check out what they have to offer. I like being amongst those hanging out on the lawn and using the picnic tables.

I spent most of my day working the crowd, chasing down kids and their parents and passing on books to them. I learned a valuable lesson today -- this is, don’t attempt to give a pre-teen a book on snakes. He saw it and recoiled. So I went back and got two differing books (I don’t remember what) and took them over to what were two children. They took the books and thanked me.

I passed several books on to young males -- many of them were grabby and their parents had to remind them to say thank you.

Most parents were appreciative. A few told me that they already had enough books.

I was later distributing at the Valley Hotel – a child hesitated and a parent told her child that they were in a hurry. I grabbed a book and handed it to him, then told the mother that the book was free. She thanked me, and I think that she meant it.

All this and more was going on on one of the best weather days in recent memory. It put people in a good mood. This was a contrast from last week, when it was cold and blustery.

My most vivid memory remains. It was of a child, maybe age 10, very plump and wearing blue glasses. She riffled through the chapter books, and she said she was a reader but didn’t look at the books. She told me that she likes books that are funny, so I assisted her in pulling four out of the bin. Then she proceeded to list all the things that she’d been eating that day. Her mother interjected and said to me “we shared.”

Another memory just surfaced, of my reading passages from the New York Times “Book of Knowledge” the fellow listening finally took it. He also gave a donation. All together, we made $8.00 today. If the weather had been worse, we would have earned far less.

Next: 139. 5/21/22: Morning Until Night

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