What Community Events Can do For You

Sunday afternoons are usually the time for winding down before the upcoming sprint through another week. But a couple of Sundays ago I broke my routine to stroll around the Aviation Heritage Park and Museum in Bowling Green at the invitation of the Warren County Library.

As a book lover, I’ve always been a fan of libraries and bookstores. For me, a library is that place that feels a little like home. The physical building itself is one that extends peace while inspiring all who enter a chance to belong. Yet those lovely qualities are not what connect me to the library. A bus-like vehicle stuffed with books from floor to ceiling was my initial introduction to a free service that took me way beyond the physical borders of our family farm.

I used to count down the hours and minutes until my mother allowed me to walk to the neighbor’s home to step inside that book mobile.  I was greeted by a young man with wild 70s hair who always seemed to have the right pick of books aboard for the mother in search of steamy romance, the teenage boy in search of sports news, as well as my crazy horse phase (that might still be going on). That book mobile may be the greatest influence on my love of reading today because it was the only opportunity I had to access a library. Back then, farm life didn’t allow for meandering through rows of books, at least in my father’s opinion.

On this hot Sunday afternoon, I stand in awe before the Phantom II aircraft flown in the Vietnam War by General Daniel Cherry, a man I sat next to on a plane headed for Tel A Viv, Israel on October 3^rd of last year. Little did I know that the humble gentleman beside me not only led the Air Force through times of war and peace, but also guided the Thunderbirds in many flights and shows. Now I feel a personal tie to the intimidating aircraft.

When I walked into the Aviation Heritage Museum, I immediately spotted my dear friend, General Dan Cherry. Each of us in our group are bonded for life after finding ourselves in Israel at the start of the Israel – Hamas War. I was able to sit with my friend and enjoy another opportunity the library provided that still amazes me.

Author events are hosted regularly, and this one was no small event. Sherri L. Smith, from Los Angeles and Elizabeth Wein, from Scotland, co-wrote America Wings – Chicago’s Pioneering Black Aviators and the Race for Equality in the Sky. They stepped up to the podium, right in front of one of the aviator’s suspended plane that they had written about, to discuss the fascinating history of four special pilots. Two male and two female black aviators showed true bravery by flying early, primitive planes and faced the additional barriers of discrimination.

Just as the old saying goes, “truth is stranger than fiction”, the historical retelling of the adventures and escapades of Cornelius Coffey, Johnny Robinson, Janet Harmon Bragg, and Willa Brown are entertaining and inspiring. The authors traveled far and obviously enjoyed sharing their research and storytelling venue with the good people of Warren County Public Library. It turned out, I have come full circle in the connection with all that a local library has to offer. From the reaches of the book mobile to the author events in the community, I appreciate the magical place of books, movies, crafts, conferences, children’s activities, computers, and even yoga classes.

The free opportunities to examine historic aircraft and learn the unique stories behind the advancement of aviation came together in one event that Sunday. Many thanks to General Dan Cherry for his friendship, service to our country, and continued devotion to the field of aviation and the community. As an author himself, Dan has one of the most inspiring stories of his own in the world of aviation. I’ll be sure to share a snippet of that experience in a future post.

I encourage you to connect with your local library for the many opportunities available to learn something new, meet interesting people, and support community programs that obviously make a positive difference in many lives, especially mine.