Places In My Heart

So there I was on the weekend, clad in my boho beachwear (filmy sundress, big sunglasses, black straw hat, and black sneakers), just beginning one of my walk-abouts. Now that I’ve moved a mile from the action, I tend to save my errands for one or two days a week rather than popping on and off the Avenue each and every time a “to do” circulates in my frazzled brain. I hadn’t got far when I heard a “hey” that I was about to write off as a cat call from the nearby road work crew.

“Where you off to looking so cute?”, a good friend asked as he pulled alongside.

“The library. And the liquor store. My two favorite places.”

We hooted about the juxtaposition of the two incongruous errands, and what they said about my eclectic tastes, and went our separate ways. But as I walked on I realized that there is a reason the library and the liquor store are my favorite places, and that these two have more in common than one would think at first glance.

I approach both places with the anticipation some reserve for Black Friday sales or the promise of wild sex. The library and the liquor store both provide a dazzling array of possibilities and the promise of escape to other realms. The alluring shelf of new fiction and the glittering display of spirits both guarantee that a discovery awaits. Poring through the stacks and perusing the jewel-toned bottles satisfies that treasure hunting urge.

And then there are the days where you actually find that treasure. When you score. Which is why if you’re looking for me, you’ll find me poolside with Chris Bohjalian and a Moscow Mule.

What are some of your favorite places?