Temple of Knowledge

Today I walked into the uppermost floors of Rutherford Library at the University of Alberta. Prior to entering I noticed a sign on the door that read "you are now entering a quiet area." "Yeah. Right." I thought. All the quiet areas I've been to in the past were never truly quiet. I opened the blue door and stepped into another world and another life time. The silence of the place hit me so suddenly as if I had just stepped into the presence of a divinity. It was heavy, and ever present. It felt ancient. I looked to my left to get my bearings on the sensation when my eyes finally saw the place as it was. This one floor contained what seemed like an endless rows of books. I was a little awe struck. I got this slow, smouldering sensation in the pit of my stomach. It was the same sensation I would assume ancient scholars would get when walking into the Great Library at Alexandria. I felt as if I had stepped into a holy place and the presence of the deity who was worshiped at this temple was present and ever watchful. Walking along the stacks I could hear my feet echoing across the spaces. Even my breathing seemed too loud. The slow and sudden intake of breath and the exhale, a little faster, but still slow enough not to cause any distress just rang too loud. I never thought I'd experience a series of sensations like this within a place in Alberta. Edmonton especially. I could get lost in that sea of knowledge and die a happy man.

Gabriel Janas