One day, while standing at a stoplight, in NYC, I overheard a woman behind me. "Honey, where would you like to go while we're here visiting?"
I knew how I felt about this city that is often thought of as "the hub of the Universe." So I couldn't help listening to see what someone else was drawn to.
"Mommy, can we go to a library?" answered a voice that was all of eight years old. A voice that was filled with wonder and hopefulness.
I felt like my head literally swiveled. I looked at this proud mother and her daughter. Her little girl who might have asked to go to any store in the City; yet she wasn't interested in shopping—not even in a bookstore. All she craved was to be in a santuary—for books!
I told them they truly touched my heart because, as a writer who will always seek to a be the voice I was searching for, and to further the arts, their conversation was beyond golden to me. And because, more importantly, as long as there are people like the two of them—the arts will always be safe.