I had loving parents (now with the Lord)… and they treasured me and my younger brother. They imparted to us a love for God’s creation, a curiosity for and about life, that no one is a stranger, and a love of books in the form of weekly visits to the public library. For example, the Bookmobile – that parked in our neighborhood on Thursdays – was the best place to take a child with a big imagination. I wanted to grow up and own that Bookmobile. I could then travel all over the country, park it for a week or two, help people find just the right book, move on to the next town, county. I still want to do this. Every week we went to our family went to our local public library. We’d return the two books we’d checked out the week before, look around the stacks, sit and read, and then check out two more books. On one special night, we’d spend the whole evening at our public library.
At special times of the month there were guest lecturers, and my mom and dad never missed one. My brother and I would find a quiet corners to relax in, browse the periodicals – magazines and daily newspapers that were fastened onto long wooden sticks. The Children’s Corner often supplied a guest storyteller or willing parent-volunteer, and at some point, this person would read a book in an open area of the library. The parents often joined by standing in the back, also listening. The librarian, Mrs. Ruth, was an excellent storyteller and she did all the voices when she read a book. Also, in our library there was this special place where historical documents were stored. You had to put on white gloves, sit quietly, and wait for your materials. Part of the room was made of glass, and you could see what people were looking at if you didn’t lean on the glass or make noises.
I sailed through school with good grades, and sang in choir helping Ms. Minkler (Ms. Minky) organize the choir folders and robes. She was my choir director for junior high and high school, and she was excellent. I didn’t make the Troubadours Show Choir, even though I auditioned every year. I was in Concert Choir, and the section leader for the second sopranos.
My higher education journey was a little, shall we say, off at the start due to my choice of a major in Medieval Studies at the Moravian University in PA. Finally, I was redirected out of the university by a kind career counselor who insisted I take a career test. She then suggested I consider Library Science Studies at Clarion State College, in Clarion, PA. That had an appealing ring to me (pun intended), and I began my adventure to become a professional bibliophile.
After college, I went back home to Bethlehem (yes!) and joined the staff of the Bethlehem Area Public Library (BAPL). I never got to drive their Bookmobile – the wait list to drive it was as long as my right arm. It was at BAPL where I met Ralph Twigger who introduced me to Jonathan Finkle. He was very interested in a serious relationship, and I was not. We dated for a short time. He helped me with my library puppet work for a season and played the roles of ‘Bookie the Bookworm’ puppet alongside of my ‘Flicka the Firefly’ puppet character. We were quiet a dynamic storytelling duo.
I remember Jonathan saving the day by playing both Bookie and Flicka when I had laryngitis for two weeks. We remain very good friends to this day. He married a chef and had 6 children and now 3 grandchildren. He still does puppetry work and is still quite good with character voices.
BAPL let me wear different hats and do all kinds of things: I learned how to repair books. You do know we try to never throw a book away. Each new season, I procured special speakers and teachers for courses, and local authors for book-signings. And I was given the joy of re-shelving the library’s Bookmobile. I would sit in the driver’s seat, pretending to be the BAPL Bookmobile Librarian. No one ever caught me.
Another feather in my cap is the library that I helped build in the basement of my church, under the direction and support of Pastor Hickman of the First Community Church of Bethlehem (that sentence always brings a smile to my heart). For years I served seminarians, grade school children who, after school, would walk to the church just to be somewhere that felt safe and warm. Most of them never had pencils or paper. We took care of that for them. Our little basement library provided a respite for tired moms and senior adults where we served great free coffee, and Barbara Hickman’s baked goods for a $2.00 donation to the FCC Library.
When I turned 50, I felt like it was time to give this church library to another librarian so that he/she could take it even further. I couldn’t afford to retire yet, even though I longed to see our beautiful country and promote reading, support teachers, and the amazing public library system across the U.S. Some libraries need help in raising the funds just to maintain their staff, to purchase new books, and provide a clean space to read, rest and learn. So, I worked pat-time at BAPL, and at night began hosting Trivia Nights. Your Trivia Night ticket included one free drink with your There’s-Nothing-Like-These-Nachos-in-a-Bowl meal. Mostly nutritious, and very delicious. And if someone wanted to wager bets for the winner(s), I looked the other way. I did receive some plain-marked envelopes with just cash. It always went to the library we were helping on that night. AND THEN COVID CAME in 2020. Dun-Dun-Dun-Dun-Dunnnnnn …
So, I didn’t sit around thinking sad thoughts about the future of the American public library closing its doors and failing the community. After we were all free to gather again, I told people, “Let’s walk back in there – back inside our local public libraries. They belong to us.” And as we came out of Covid, I began taking great joy in gathering people into small-group-settings to practice community, creativity, curiosity, caring, and laughing out loud. We still played Trivia games, but in the library now. I encouraged people to return to the good things that we lost during Covid – opening a real book that you just checked out, encouraging the skill of looking things up in a real dictionary or encyclopedia instead of on their phone, filling out a library card application, find a local reading group or book club, or just try sitting quietly in a library chair.
My heart’s delight has been seeing people exit one of my Margaret Louise Gray’s Storytime events with a gently used book under their arm (from our volunteer book exchange), a piece of “art” they’ve made, while chatting with a new friend. I hope you’ll join me for one in the future. Get on the Melea J Brock mailing list as she usually advertises things for me.
THINGS I LIKE: Recycling, A Warm Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie, Cooking, God’s Word, Children & Teens, Re-Reading a Really Good Book, Helping Someone Know They Matter Today, A Good Movie & Popcorn, A Cup of Caleb Coffee (strong coffee, a little cream and a teaspoon of brown sugar), Growing Bigger Ears to Hear Others, a Good Joke, Big Band, Jazz, and Broadway Music, Sitting in a Garden – and remembering we will return to His Garden someday…
What would your THINGS I LIKE list be? I know I’d love to hear it.
I hope you heard this as you’ve read my biography, and I hope you hear it as I sign off – We Are All Amazing Non-Fiction Stories & Works of Art – each one beautiful, incredible, and as unique as a fingerprint.
I look forward to meeting you … or seeing you again ! Margaret Louise Gray
After the new year, Margaret had been living in her new future “home & workspace” that was securely parked in a friend’s backyard RV space. She was living her dream-come-true that she’d shared with only a few people as it all happened so quickly at the end of the year. Do you remember her talking about this? “One day I want to own an old Bookmobile van, and travel this beautiful country, helping people find or return to the joy of reading.”
As only God does things, she was able to secure a very old Bookmobile that came equipped with a partial 1970’s library, a dusty and kind of rusty mini kitchen, with a section of shelving that uniquely flipped down like a murphy bed to reveal a small bed and side table.
“It’s heavenly – and it’s all I need,” she told all of us. “It was towed here from the Midwest and is now safely parked on my friend’s former RV parking pad. Don’t worry about me I am very safe nestled into a sweet part of Altadena, California. And I have an incredible mechanic that has already begun his work on it, and I am in the process of researching the restoration and refurbishing of the Bookmobile’s interior. I’m happier than a clam at high water!”
She’d been living in her rolling library for almost a little over a month on January 7th, and she was excited about the future. Her hope was to “christen” the Bookmobile at a future Margaret Louise Gray Storytime, slated for Valentine’s Day, called “Whose Got Your Heart – the News or a Good Romance Novel?” featuring stories from Jane Austen, Charles Schulz & the Peanuts Gang, and Abraham & Mary Todd Lincoln.
Here’s what happened the night of January 7th…
Like for all of us, the winds were crazy that afternoon and worsened by evening where Margaret was parked. Her power was out and she was using her battery-operated camping lamp.
In my mind I can imagine her sheltering in place for as long as she could, but the winds were frightening. And she had received the same alerts on her cell that so many did that night. She grabbed up a few essentials — a change of clothes and toiletries, some old editions she’d just purchased, other keepsakes, and packed it all onto a rolling cart, along with a pallet of waters, and several boxes of KIND bars. Margaret grabbed a sweater, her heavy jacket, donned a hat and gloves and set out on foot to seek refuge at the local Catholic Church. She had made friends with the church staff at St. Elizabeth’s, spent weekly time at its Stations of the Cross in their quiet garden. And she’d been storytelling at their school, almost weekly.
Her thought that night was, “St. Elizabeth’s will let me in, and I can help out tomorrow because I know they will be helping the community.” After a full day of tears on January 8th, Margaret pulled herself together by nightfall. She then began handing out waters, sandwiches, KIND bars, toiletries packets, and managed to say, “Hi my name is Margaret. I’m very sorry for your loss … you don’t have to go through this alone.
Her Bookmobile miraculously made it through the fire, sustaining smoke damage and some cosmetic damage to the siding. If she was here right now, she’d tell you, “My home smelled like a really old campfire, and a burnt meal on that said campfire.”
Fortunately, she had insurance, although remediation is slow in coming as it will take “experts” to get things cleaned up in a 1970’s Bookmobile. Things will be replaced and restored from the smoke damage. She’s happy about refurbishing all the bookshelves and all the books being cleaned. Eventually, there will be new upholstered bus chairs and curtains. One ServePro worker told her that he knew a person who knew a dealer that makes small twin beds for motorhomes. She, of course, wanted to do her own research. “It’s got to be the right bed with a really firm mattress for my back.”
She also spent time at the Altadena Public Library, helping with their re-opening to the community.
Margaret is very excited about some upcoming work in October with Varetta Heidelberg’s ministries, and a Christmas theatrical event involving dramatic interpretations of two beloved Christmas stories, and an amazing interactive one-act play of mine called, The Christmas We All Crossed the Bridge. Margaret and I are currently looking for a hosting church that will partner with Right-Side-Up Stories to accomplish this special show. I’ve asked Margaret to bring her expertise and MC for the shows. She’s interested, but of course wants to do some research first, and pray about the show’s plans. It’s how she rolls. And we all love that about her.
Thanks for reading all the way to the end to hear Margaret’s story in the Eaton Fire.
-Melea