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Dothan Superstar Op Ed on the Houston-Love LibraryBy Sharman Burson Ramsey Published in the Dothan Eagle March 8, 2009 A friend tells the story of taking her child to the Houston-Love Library’s Children’s Library. The little girl had to use the bathroom facilities and when she opened the door she turned to her mother incredulously and asked, “You want me to use that?” I must say, as a native Dothanian, that statement caused me to take another look at the building I had taken for granted. I had also noticed that you had to back up against the back wall to shut the door in the ladies room and that the facilities were quite definitely worn from wear, but that little girl and her mother were new to Dothan. That which we natives had come to accept as the natural aging of a sort of family member, they saw as nasty, poorly maintained and unacceptable. I then started looking at the living room of our community through fresh eyes. Probably each of us from every walk of life has walked through those doors at one time or another. One wonders, how did Great Aunt Agatha (our library) wind up sequestered in the attic accepting with gracious dignity and humble gratitude the crumbs from the table left over after every other spending project our elected commissions have chosen to fund? Calmly and graciously, though her carpet is threadbare, held together with duct tape and her facilities are barely adequate, she welcomes with the best of her resources dignitaries who are considering bringing businesses to our community, young people who might settle bringing their young families, retirees who might settle here who see libraries as a central focus of activities and resources. What must they think of us? That little girl’s fresh perspective should enlighten us all. One need only visit Panama City’s new library to see what is possible when a community has leadership that has a vision for more than sports facilities. As the fundraising chairman for the Friends of the Houston-Love Library, I do not come to the community asking for help. Indeed, as a community, we are like a family and I will merely say our Great Aunt Agatha is in dire straights and we are merely offering our family the opportunity to join us in building her a home worthy of what we expect of her, a place where we can visit, bring friends, and not be ashamed of how we have allowed that home that belongs to us all to become so shabby. Dear Great Aunt Agatha has provided temporary shelter from the rain to the homeless, comfort to the blind through audio, Braille and large print books, opportunities to job seekers and students through computers, family information and preservation of local history through local history room with its genealogy books, engendered the love of books in children in her children’s library through its many programs, welcomed us for meetings and provided videos for education and entertainment. With quiet dignity she continues to nurture us in her current gentile poverty. But she deserves more respect. The Library has a “shovel ready” plan that only needs property on which to build and the money to finance the project. In this time of people needing work and money coming available for infrastructure projects, may I suggest that our forward thinking public officials might hasten off to the portals of government and present our project as one that will immediately put people to work on a project worthy of their investment. My own personal hope would be that the “living room” of our community would remain at its heart and that someone would hear our request that land be donated for that purpose. What better memorial to a loved one than donating property or a room to perpetually memorialize that individual in the stones and bricks of a building that will contribute so much to those who enter. We’ll have lots of opportunities to participate in events to contribute to Great Aunt Agatha’s upkeep…First Wednesday speaker lunches at the Basketcase beginning in April; Dothan Superstar, a talent competition from middle school to young adult with tryouts in July and the final competition in August; a Landmark/Library Picnic featuring the talented Maddox family in September. But, while those events are great opportunities for our Dothan family to unify and gather, those fundraisers will do little more than mend the grand lady’s shabby garments. The Patriarchs of our Dothan family who manage our community funds have for too long forgotten Great Aunt Agatha and her ever expanding family responsibilities. To them, I say, isn’t it time she got a new home to continue all the kind services she performs for us? Perhaps it takes a child to lead us. For more information on projects and how you can participate contact Sharman Ramsey, Chairman of Fundraising for the Friends of the Library 334-792-0505 or join Houston-Love Library Friends on Facebook.
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Copyright 1996 These are my own working genealogy files that I share with you. The errors are my own. But, perhaps they will give you a starting point. All original writing is copyrighted. Webmaster |