Library

Exiting the supply room, I turned left and then ran up the stairs. The Dining room was past the library on the left. I arrived slightly out of breath. Pushing open the doors, I entered.

As I entered to my right, I saw seven long tables and benches in neat rows, and on the left, I saw the lunch line. Starting with a cart holding trays, plates, bowls, and silverware. I grab a tray and place a plate on it, along with some utensils and a bowl. Then moved over carefully to the lunch line where the servers were waiting to see what I wanted to eat. I placed the tray on the sliding rack and looked through the glass into the container, which held what was being offered.

I chose the beef stew, a roll, and salad with ranch dressing, along with some fresh fruit. For the drink, I grabbed a carton of apple juice. Then, I carefully walked with my tray to one of the lowest tables and set it down, and sat down to eat.

There weren't many people in the dining room, as school hadn't started yet, but the overall decor wasn't bad. Wooden tables and benches for the students, Tables and chairs for the teachers, and perfect lighting to make it bright enough without being too glaring. The chandeliers refracted the light, creating tiny rainbows on the cream-colored walls. Some lovely landscape paintings broke up the plainness of those walls, creating tiny windows into someone's concept of nature. 

After lunch, I headed over to check out the library. Upon entering, I saw the main desk, which I assumed was the librarian. The librarian looked up as I entered and smiled. She was a little old lady with short grey hair wearing a blue dress and reading spectacles perched on her nose.

"Well, hello dear, and who might you be?" She asked.

"Hello. I'm Asher Phoenix."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr Phoenix. I'm Mrs. Bromwell, the Librarian. How can I help you today?"

"I just wanted to look around and maybe get something to read for later, if that's alright?"

"Of course it's alright, there are just a few rules for the Library. 

1st Keep your voice down.

2nd No running or roughhousing.

3rd, You must check out each book at the desk before leaving. The limit is three books per person, and they must be returned before you can check out any new ones.

4th No eating or drinking in here.

And last but not least

5th If you lose a book, you must replace it or pay to have it replaced.

Study rooms can be used only for audio or video recordings, but they also incur a cost in credits.

"Computer access is restricted to 1 hr per person. You can rent a laptop if you need to for assignments and classes, but that will be the equivalent of 2 books."

"Anything else you need to know, just ask."

"Thank you, Mrs. Bromwell."

"No Problem, dear."

I decided to make a circle of the library first. This was a typical library with dark wood paneling and low light. There were no windows here, as they could easily damage the books. There were quite a few old books that I could see as I walked around. I made another mental note to look at them later. Many shelves dominated the space, with little reading nooks and tables with chairs scattered around, giving it a cozy feel.

I might spend a significant amount of my study time here, just because of the ambiance.

Looking back at those older books that I had noticed earlier, I picked up one and read the title. Culture and Values: A Survey of the Humanities, Volume I. Might be worth a look later. I thought. By the time I finished in the library, it was almost 5 pm, so I decided to head upstairs to my room to wash up for dinner before going back to the cafeteria/dining room to eat. 

When I entered my room, I noticed a light blinking on the entry cabinet to the side of the door. What's this, I thought. I tried to find a latch or knob to pull, but all I saw was a square panel like the one used to open doors on the top of the cabinet. So, I placed my card on it, and with a click, it popped open. To my surprise, there was my order from the supply store. "How?" I looked inside and saw a slight crack on the side of the cabinet facing the entry door. "Maybe?" I opened my room door, and there was a thin, barely noticeable crack on the wall. I widened my eyes. "Wow," I never would have noticed that. It was like a secret delivery door built into the wall using hidden hinges. A cabinet mailbox. I smiled in delight, then went back into my room to put the new things away.

Back at the Dining area, I quickly picked some chicken pasta and mixed vegetables and grabbed a carton of milk. Then went to a table to eat. After my stomach was finally full, I quietly went back to my room. Moving to the desk in my room, I sat down and pulled out the workbook that I had gotten from the supply store. Opening to the first page, I grabbed a pen and started practicing my writing. As I practiced, I reflected on all the things in life that were new to me and compared them to the things I knew from my previous experiences. 

Remembering everything can be both advantageous and disadvantageous. Sometimes my head feels so full that I get stuffy and want to sleep to escape all the memories. That's why I value my previous Master Xu, from the monastery, who taught me how to calm my thoughts and slow them down through meditation. He would have me take each memory out, examine it, and then file it away like a book on a shelf in my mental world. I would only pull out the book when I needed that information, but the rest of the time, keeping it locked away in my mind so it didn't interfere with my daily life was everything to me. 

Many times before I met Master Xu, I had nearly gone crazy with the knowledge swirling in my head. Unable to function like a normal person. My mind had been unable to tell sometimes where I was and if something was real and now or from a previous life. Saying something to someone only to realize I spoke in a different language that I shouldn't know in that life, or about an event that happened long ago, but someone remembered wrong, and I knew because I had lived it. The saying "The Victor writes History" takes on new meaning when viewed from my perspective. 

You may think that if I remember everything, I would be good at taking tests and passing classes, but that is not true when you think about all the times History got the story wrong or some corrupt official scribe put their spin on a story to benefit themselves. I have to reread everything from the current era's perspective to get tests right, knowing that it's different from what they believe it to be. So, with each life after Master Xu, I would start with basic mind mapping and filing. Each new body would have to relearn what I had previously known. This is where muscle memory is something you must teach yourself repeatedly. There are many things my mind remembers, but a new body doesn't know.

Take wood carving, for example. When you first learn it, your carving will look chunky, and it will be tough to recognize what it is. However, after practicing it over and over, your work becomes more refined and defined, until the finished product is a masterpiece of art. Muscle memory plays a big part in that.

So, each life, I decide what I need to reteach my muscles to remember, then pull out that memory and start practicing.

As I grow older and gain more knowledge of this life, I revisit and practice the memories that I will need to succeed in it. I never want to go back to the time before Master Xu. Those memories I file under nightmares to keep away from. 

Currently, even though I'm only six years old, I'm relearning how to write correctly with my hand. Eventually, I will be able to write and draw without it looking like scribbles.

This is where the saying "Practice makes perfect" is true.

Another example is when a baby is first born, they must practice using their vocal cords. First, by crying, and eventually, by talking. A baby will also move about, waving their arms and legs to strengthen them, so they can progress from lying down to crawling, then standing, and eventually walking.

The advantage I have in remembering everything is that I recall how it should feel to do those things, and it's easier to reach a point where I don't have to think about it anymore actively.

The disadvantage of it is that I have to start over every life. Right from the beginning. It can be frustrating. But I can't avoid it. 

Going to the library gave me a general idea of where I am in the world and what this life's history is going to be remembered like. The books they keep in the Library tell me who believes they are the victors and who the losers. Knowing a country's foundation is always beneficial so that you can avoid mistakes.