Serendipity: A Home of Pages | El Healey

When I discovered the word haven, I believed it to be a misspelling of heaven. It took multiple amused corrections from my mother before I knew the difference. 

I have been a ward of libraries for most of my life. Constantly being imposed limits of “only ten books can come on vacation.”  My parents carved those words into the foundation of my house. I spent as much time as I could within books, only wanting to live another moment inside of worlds cosmic compared to mine.  There was only so much space on the shelves warped with love that made up the walls of my house, so there was only one place I could truly escape: The Public Library. 

With its ever-growing walls and quotes that adorned them, this place was sacred. As a child, I spent hours paging through book after book, but as I grew older, the shelves that held my dreams grew smaller. By the time I was twelve, it was just the five cramped young adult shelves, the small room that held them, and me, going one by one through the volumes. It was there, on some fall day sitting alone in the silence, that I found a certain pamphlet. It was titled “LGBTQIA+ Books.” From that moment on, I learned that haven and heaven were closer to synonyms than I was led to believe. In this newfound slice of literature, I began to find the cosmic world within myself. The Public Library was more than a place to escape to. I was able to learn and live; the person I only ever dreamed of being began to emerge.

Libraries have been and will continue to be the most holy of places for me. There is nowhere else that can both comfort and give rise to change all within a quiet afternoon. A haven of worlds beyond our wildest dreams and still somehow just within grasp. 

*          *          *

El Healey’s piece imparts the importance of libraries as a safe space for patrons. Healey is in their first year at Ohio Wesleyan. They are a double major in Pre-Medicine and English Literature. They are also pursuing a minor in piano performance. Healey is an avid lover of all things creative. They have found solace and delight in places and people who share this affection for creativity. They hope to inspire others to make and enjoy art throughout life.