"*>>Beginnings: A Library, An ‘A’ and a ‘B’* When I was in my late primary school years, I was shunted into an accelerated reading program. This program was designed for kids who had either outpaced their schoolmates in terms of reading ability, or who whizzed through books [while still comprehending them] at a voracious rate. As part of this program it was decided that I should be given special privileges in order to join the primary public library. I was to be allowed to borrow books intended for adult consumption.
When the day arrived to venture into ‘The Proper Library’ [as I’d internally labelled it] I was determined to prove that I was just as mature as the adults with whom I’d soon share borrowing privileges. I ventured into the library foyer solo, with no adult chaperone. As I marched along the hallway past ‘The Children’s Library’, the thought hit me: I had no idea how to navigate this place. As I reached the front desk, my card was prepared and waiting, but [probably due to understaffing] there were no adults to show me the ropes. So, being the somewhat timid but determined youngster I was, I marched directly between the first shelves of books I saw. I had no idea what category of books huddled there. I *was* aware [thankfully] of how books were organised in a library setting. I knew that if I selected the first book on the top row, it would be by an author starting with A. And so I grabbed the first three books located there [that I could reach], all by an author I hadn’t ever heard of: Brian Aldiss. The section I had stumbled into was Science Fiction. This simple act of selecting those books [written in a genre that would soon become an enduring favourite] shifted something. My life trajectory tilted. The tilt was subtle, but enough to make me realise that *this* was the way to tackle life: head on, by marching into the hiccoughing unknown with some type of fantastical accompaniment... <http://cordite.org.au/essays/sidestepping-the-known/>" -- | mezbreezedesign.com
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