When we first moved into our house almost 4 years ago we had a ton of books. There were books that we had been saving to “read” later, and books from college, and books from the library out of date materials sale.
We had so many books that I built floor to ceiling bookshelves, each 6 feet long. Recently we decided that, while we love books, we needed to thin the herd.
Now, I love books almost as much as I love the internet. I always have. I love losing myself in a story and losing sleep because the story is just that good. There are certain books that were my only friends growing up, my only escape from the drudgery of Junior High.
In the past I always hated giving books away or donating them, because I was going to read that again! It is mine! I have a Collection! But that can’t happen anymore. I have had to face some hard truths. There are so many new books out there I may never get back to the older ones that are not favorites.
There are many favorites that I may never read again. So I have purged many of the books that I used to have. The good news is, there are always libraries to read new books from. There are even books on CD which I love as well.
I just had a thought as I was packing up some of said books for donation to charity. Humphrey Bogart from Casablanca, sort of. Some of these books I looked at and said to myself in my best Bogart, “Of all the bookshelves in all the world and you ended up on mine”.
Cheesy I know, but there is a relationship that you have with books. They come and go. They give you what you need when you care to search. They are patient and everlasting. They are meant to be enjoyed and I am convinced now, that they are meant to be passed on for others to enjoy. A book can enrich no one sitting on a dusty shelf in my basement.
Now for the DVD “collection”
-Justin
