Worth Remembering --- Day 9/60

Walk: Hood
Distance:  2 miles, Yoga

Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919)

From Susan Orlean's The Library Book:

The general public didn't really agree on the value of public libraries until the end of the nineteenth century.  Before that, libraries were viewed as scholarly and elite, rather than an indispensable and democratic public resource.  Many public libraries still had membership fees.  The change of attitude began with the philanthropy of Scottish businessman Andrew Carnegie, who launched a library-building project in 1890.  Carnegie was born in Scotland and then emigrated to the United States.  His father was a weaver, and the family teetered between poverty and modest comfort throughout his childhood.  As a young boy he had little money to spare; for instance, he couldn't afford the two-dollar membership fee for the local library.  Eventually, he made a fortune in steel and railroads, and at one time was the richest man in the world.  When he reached middle age, he decided to commit the last third of his life to giving away his money.  The disappointment of not being able to afford the local library had stuck with him, and he chose libraries as one of the main beneficiaries of his philanthropy.  He offered large grants to build libraries in communities that would commit to supporting them with tax revenues.  Towns and cities began lobbying to get Carnegie funding, and the process of applying had the effect of rallying interest and support for public ibraries.  Carnegie ended up building nearly 1,700 libraries in 1,400 communities.

Always Remember... --- Day 9/59

Walk: Presidio and Hood
Distance: 5 miles, Yoga

First Get in Motion --- Day 9/58

Walk: Presidio
Distance: 3 miles, Yoga

So Ciwt has always tended to be an afternoon exerciser.  Occasionally mid-day.  But in the last few days she's taken her (beloved) walk first thing (or so) in the morning. The object was to avoid congestion, have as much space as possible.  But, unexpectedly, it also made her days feel smoother, more easily productive.  Yes, on the morning walks there had been fewer people/more freedom/more walking enjoyment, but the results felt beyond those things. 

Then today she read a passage by a Swedish man whose family began every day with a walk before releasing the children to do whatever they wanted with the rest of the day.

"You may play inside now," my mother would say, smiling.  We had been nomadic for a brief period and were allowed to be civilized again.  It was a principle we had been raised to follow: if you want to sit still, first you have to move around.

(Im)possible Lament Response -- Days 9/56 & 57

Walk: 1. no  2. hood
Distance: 1. Yoga  2. 3 miles, Yoga

Yes, maybe Ciwt could have San Francisco to herself if she walks very early every morning.  But then there is the doing it.....😒

Lament --- Days 9/53 & 54

Walk: 1. Hood  2. No 
Distance: 1. 3.4, Yoga  2. 3 Blocks to garage and exercising her car, Yoga

For Ciwt every walk is an adventure.  Even the ones when she's forced herself to lace up her Asics and is traveling the same route she's walked countless times.  Very shortly after setting out something (a graden maybe) looks different or there's a new feeling in the air, or thoughts get triggered that haven't been before, and once again she feels like she's adventuring through and with the world.

Until recently, and here (after health) lies the main on-going stress of these virus times for her.  Now, because we need to be constantly wary, masked and and mindful when we walk, walking has become akin to going to the gym and doing those good-for-you but uninspiring reps.  Much as Ciwt tries to construct a sense of adventure, she can't get into it, and nd she often returns home a bit agitated and sometimes even relieved to just have the walk over.

This - exercise for the sake of exercise - is not the relationship she wants with walking.  It's no fun, and she misses the fun and the connection.  Deeply.  The freedom, the exploring, the exercising, the sense of "Hello, World!"

One Thought at a Time --- Day 9/52

Walk:  Post Office
Distance: 2.5 miles, Yoga

Maybe Ciwt mentioned that she's slowly getting the knack of reading more than one book at a time.
That is, reading a few chapters/pages/whatever of one book, then going on to another.

Here's an unexpected something she has realized by adopting this system:  the author's thoughts sink in more deeply.  It seems to her many authors tend to group concepts and at the end of a paragraph, section or chapter, they have often laid out a point they are trying to make. It could be an aspect of a character, portrait of an historical personage, a philosophical idea, an important plot development.  Whatever it is, the author is organized around it for a certain passage of paragraphs, pages, chapters.

In 'regular,' start to finish reading Ciwt would go from one of these passages to the other. One after the other taking in the concepts but also eagerly moving ahead to what was next.  In the new, more focused, multi-book type of read, Ciwt notices that she spends more mental time with what the author has been saying for the pages she's read.

Subtle, but interesting she thinks.

Got Books? --- Day 9/51

Walk: No, Too hot
Distance: 0, Yoga

Ciwt is trying to recall what media person or program would have been talking books in the late 1970's.  That's when she and her partner owned a bookstore in a mountain ski resort.  Books were so unusual in that state and place at the time that some people would panic when they came through the door.  Ciwt wasn't sure what to do about that, and it was her partner who suggested greeting cards.  Sure enough.  As soon as a spinning rack of cards was installed, the 'book scared' happily darted right over to them - and added to the profits of the store.

For the 'book lovers,' it was harder to solve the problem that would ensue when there was a sudden run on a particular book.  People we were trying to entice actually called ahead or came in droves to secure the title.  It was great in some ways - clientele! - but difficult in others because a small bookstore can only afford to stock 'x' number of copies of one book - shelf space-wise and monetarily. Every book brought in is ordered sight unseen months ahead of time and a gamble.

What was going on on those book rush days?  Ciwt actually came up with the answer to this:  the now forgotten media person or program had featured that book that morning.  The fix wasn't easy.  Some people could be persuaded to special order the book, wait for its arrival and support their local (and only!) bookstore.  Others would lecture us owners having to 'serve locals' like their home - meaning big city/copious shelf space - store did.  One man actually sent his private pilot through the skies to his home store whenever these rushes happened and brought them immediately upon their personal arrival to show (humiliate) Ciwt and her partner.

From title to entitlement.  Oh well. 

Now what was the name of that program or star?

Shared Gardener? --- Days 9/49 & 9/50

Walk: 1. No 2. Hood and Joe's
Distance: 1. Yoga  2. 3.5 Miles, Yoga

These three street gardens are right next to each other, and each one is an artistic jewel.  Ciwt suspects the owners share a gardener, a very talented gardener.