Imagine the Possibilities

Last week I attended the Keystone State Literacy Conference in State College, home of the Penn State Nittany Lions. It’s always fun to return to Happy Valley where I spent four very formative years as an undergraduate. Of course, that was fifty years ago, and much has changed in that time.

One of the optional pre-conference events was a tour of the library. I hadn’t been in the library in…well, probably close to forty-five years, so I jumped at the chance to rediscover this special space.

As we entered I took a minute to orient myself. The massive staircases still framed the front lobby, but the Starbucks tucked in the back was new. The room with the long study tables and card catalogs now housed comfortable chairs and couches arranged in small group spaces. There were more rooms, large and small, more spaces designated for creating, more computers, and on a Sunday afternoon…more students. I think that is what stood out to me the most. There were students everywhere on computers and tablets, working alone and together. The library was a hub of activity!

Near the entrance was a Short Edition short story dispenser. Here you could opt to receive a 1, 3, or 5-minute story at the touch of a button. The stories are written by Penn State students, faculty, and staff and submitted for distribution. The program, started about a year or so ago, is an attempt to encourage more people to spend time reading and writing literature.

I copied this from the PSU Short Edition website: “Together let’s make the world a more poetic place by encouraging reading and writing, while showcasing Penn State authors internationally.”

Sounds good to me! I believe that it is “story” that will bring us to a better understanding of each other and what it means to live in kindness. Wouldn’t it be great to have these dispensers everywhere, like Little Free Libraries? Perhaps it is a movement, I just never saw it before.

And by the way…thank you, Sabrina, for your engaging story “The Model Employee.”

My friend and I sat in the almost-empty restaurant catching up on personal news over a late dinner. We talked about our grown children (conversations about kids happens at all ages), upcoming special events, and the little details that make up a life. We met in part to celebrate my birthday which we mentioned a few times during the course of the evening. When it was time to order dessert, we declined. That is, until the waiter mentioned that he overheard us talking about a birthday and explained to us that a free dessert was offered to anyone celebrating a birthday. Of course we quickly changed our minds and decided to indulge.

Last week Kate Messner posted tips from seven authors for the National Day of Writing. Kate’s tip was about finding the small details in a scene – something that brings the writing back to the personal. That’s what happened that night in the restaurant. The waiter found the small detail, a birthday celebration, in the bits of conversation he overheard. His attention to detail turned what might have been an ordinary dinner between friends into a true celebration.

The baked salted caramel cookie topped with a dollop of vanilla ice cream was delicious. It even came with a candle – another small detail that shouldn’t be missed when celebrating a birthday.

As writers and teachers and citizens, it is important to attend to the stories held in the small details of life.

What do you do when the baby things aren’t needed anymore, when the toddler toys are outgrown, when the sports equipment is no longer being used? Like us, you probably have a garage sale or pass them on to family members. But there are those special items that stay in the attic, waiting for grandchildren…maybe.

What we have been learning in the past few months with our grandson is that many of the treasures we saved and hoped to pass along are not up to today’s safety standards. First up was the wooden cradle handmade by my father-in-law. Both of my newborns spent many happy sleeping hours snuggled in that cradle. A few months before my grandson, Alex, was born I brought it down from the attic and purchased a new mattress. My son suggested that we keep it at our house because, well, who has room for a wooden cradle in a NYC apartment? But it was more than that – it just wasn’t up to code anymore, so it was doubtful that the baby would ever use it for sleeping.  It now sits in our living room and has become more of a decorative item – used to store books and toys.

This past weekend we got down the large plastic Duplo blocks we had been saving. I washed them in warm soapy water and spread them out on Alex’s blanket. But they didn’t go back to New York with Alex when he left. I learned (from Alex’s parents) that the plastic used to make toys in the 70’s and 80’s can be toxic to children. Better to buy new than risk a serious problem. Guess we will have to dispose of the action figures and transformer cars taking up space in the attic, too.

But the old wooden high chair is OK and the wooden blocks are fine. Apparently wood is an acceptable material for heirloom items.

Progress, especially in the area of safety, is important. I remember my parents marveling at disposable diapers and infant car seats and now I understand. We can say our kids did fine with or without those things, but think of how much better and safer things are today. And there are always books that never seem to go out of style (we have lots of old and new favorites). Maybe we’ll just stick with those.