The San Diego Library Revisited

The library, in my day, was a place to read in solitude. The new one in San Diego has a long way to go before it is a real library.
   A flood of over two hundred homeless enter in the morning. The unshaven hoard heads to the escalators. Most wish to hone-in on a computer. Many cough, sneeze and spread disease on the keyboards or those on neighboring computers.
    It is as if their alarm clocked minds know when it will open. They trudge up the stairs to commandeer their computer or sofa chair with a few of San Diego. Floors two through nine offer bathrooms. The problem is there is only one urinal and one toilet on each floor-except the ninth.
    Oftentimes a street person has disrobed. Now they can shave and clean themselves with hot water. one toilet-a-day is all they need since they maybe get one church meal-a-day. At least one half of all computers are manned by either the homeless or those,  soon-to-become.
It is sometimes impossible to think inside the new library. An endless stream of students circle each floor as if it is another day in the park.
   In my Day, a library was where you could read a book in silence. Too many come inside and use this building as another home. I AM SURE THOSE THAT BUILT IT HAD THE HOMELESS IN MIND.
   On the other hand, their is a great assortment of music and art books. In fact, each floor specializes in different types of books. On the fourth and fifth floors are short story and some of our great novelists. The California room is on the ninth along with rare books and paintings. One can research their family tree or find out more about San Diego. There is a great view on the ninth floor and also views from most of the other ones.
   There are study rooms and lots of activities each day. The library even offers a class in swing dancing this month. But for me, give me that old time library where we read and checked out several books. I enjoy checking out  arrangements of various musical albums. Why a few days ago, I checked out Showboat, music by Hammerstein and Kern.
  I use the Encinitas Senior Center's piano to play these catchy numbers. I just don't understand the music of the day.

   Both the #11 and #901 buses drop you at the doorstep to the library. For me, the Trolleys are an adventure. It can be darn right dangerous.