The Stallion at the Library {Drive-in}

The DVD case cover featured a horse silhouette on a purplish background. Its title was the welcome line for us all: “The Black Stallion”. Appreciation for horses runs high in the family, so we knew “The Black Stallion” was going to be on our list of borrowed resources that day the moment we stepped into the hall of the children section at the Mériadeck Library in Bordeaux. 

The idea to pay a visit to the temple of books and culture at Mériadeck stemmed from a friend who had previously registered at the library to take her kids there once a week; they can borrow books and media supports for up to 4 weeks, bring them back there or in any other public library around the city. I jumped on the wagon, bringing the rest of the family along for a cultural and fun treat. 

The library is actually more of a media library and the children section is a dream come true. Comparing it to the libraries I used to go to when I was younger (hem…), this is a new galaxy altogether with limitless possibilities. Come to think of it, the wealth of activities and tools at our disposal may even be a bit overwhelming at first: books, comics, newspapers, journals, photography, video game room, tablets, headphones, DVDs, blue rays and so forth. Can you tell my head is spinning with joy?!

The space is welcoming, spacious and well kept. The kids can feel instantly at ease since most of the shelves are quite low, allowing them to grab all they fancy with their small hands. I could literally see them thinking that this may well be the one place on earth where mom is not even saying “Don’t touch!”. The floor is dotted with comfy and colorful cushions and blankets, while small tables and chairs for children are available around the room for more formal activities. We spotted a lovely table where the kids started drawing and colouring - quite surprisingly, they started using the supplies we had brought from home. Were they finding the novelty and numerous resources available to them too daunting? Maybe. But with time, they will feel more at ease and start exploring.

My youngest daughter and I stepped into a baby area. She left shyness at the door: running here and there, she grabbed quite a few books and toys, imitating toddlers around her. Parents were reading and playing with kids, crawling after them around the area, without having to say “Sorry” for their babies’ laughter or occasional shrieks. Is this freedom? It certainly felt like it. We could finally just follow our intuition and act as we pleased in this world of endless discoveries. We may well have read three books, each more than once of course, before starting to play with an abacus in what seemed to be an incredibly retro moment.

Going back to the main area, I took the time to walk through the various sections and picked books in Italian (yes, yes!) and a couple of other books on topics such as: the storm, why thunders and lightnings should not scare us, friendship and…horses. Which all too naturally led us back to the entrance where I asked to rent “The Black Stallion” DVD. The movie was our week-end treat as we all watched it (twice, may I add). Produced by Francis Ford Coppola, its photography is breathtakingly spectacular - especially during the first part of the movie picturing the idyllic life in inhabited natural territory. It is about friendship, loss, courage, efforts and dreams come true. 

The main characters are a smart and introvert young boy named Alec and a gorgeous black Arabian. They meet in dramatic circumstances during a fateful trip off the African coast: they are both embarked on a doomed ship. They will face tragedy together, followed by a new life; they will get to know and trust each other far away from any kind of other human contamination once they reach the shore of an ideal island - the scenes were actually shot on Sardinia. They meet new challenges and face new opportunities as one, growing stronger together. They each bring out the best in the other. This is the kind of lesson I would love to be able to pass on to my children. The second half of the movie is more traditional and familiar as the two heroes are thrown back into the “civilized” world. We know this world and the contrast between wilderness and civilization is therefore even more striking. I admit having been totally carried away by the beauty and mesmerizing strength and intimacy of nature… This is a memorable experience, setting the movie apart from others of the same kind.

During my next library visit - I plan on going at least once a week - I will venture around the other sections of the venue, including the one dedicated to music. I will return “The Black Stallion”, trusting that his honesty, bravery and energy will stay with us for a long time. I will take the children with me: this is a space where they can explore, make their own choices, grasp bits of reality, feed their imagination and learn independently. 

Credits: Unsplash