I'm a life-long bibliophile. Love books. It started with my mother who belonged to the Book of the Month Club. I got to read almost all of them, often before she did. In college, I became an English major. Couldn't get enough of literature in its many forms.
In my profession, I always felt it vitally important to buy and read books - both classics and modern. Every new interest that fell to me along the way headed me for the bookstore. A new collection of relevant books. You get the picture.
I ended up with a library of thousands of books. Each time we moved, I worked up courage to divest myself of a few hundred books. Of course, these were soon replaced as we went along. I was addicted - of course in a highly practical sense.
When I retired, I donated hundreds of religious books to churches and seminaries. This was painful. It also was revealing. The books I kept probably told more about me than the ones I gave away. Some books were so much part of my soul that I simply could not give them away.
When we moved into this smaller home, I really had to give away cartons of books. We were in a rush, so it wasn't as traumatic as it had often been before. When the smoke cleared, I still found myself with three large bookshelves full of good books - plus several cartons of unpacked literary treasures.
A few weeks ago I gave away a couple of boxes of books to the new Colonnade library. Then I sat down and went through the remaining library and pruned some more. Only the closest to my heart remained.
Now I am launching out on a slow, but wonderfully fulfilling project. One by one, author by author, I am rereading the sacred remnant. Maybe 500 books. When I finish a book, I give it away; unless! Unless I can't! Then it goes back on the shelf, to be treasured and loved a bit longer.
It is a life-long love I have. Books. Yes, books.
Oh my gosh, you really ARE addicted, aren't you?!? I've noticed that many Swedes tend to keep all their books and keep them on display on shelves, often in the living room. And getting my (Swedish) husband to throw or give away a book is like asking for the moon.
That's not me. I read a book. I let it go. Of course, I'm not a voracious reader like you. And, truth be told, I DO have maybe half-a-dozen books that I won't let go of. Otherwise, I say - put them back out there in the world where others who can't afford to buy them can have a chance to read them.
Posted by: Nikki | July 04, 2009 at 01:29 AM