Surrounded by books! That's my "sweet spot"! My heaven on earth. My comfort zone. When I'm surrounded by books I feel the MOST like ME. When I'm holding a book in my hand I feel a sense of exhileration and excitement...like something awesome's about to happen. Actually, it doesn't even have to be a Book! I'm just as excited with a magazine, a Notebook poised to capture some insight or wisdom I'm hearing on Tv or the Radio, or an article I printed out from the computer. (Somehow I feel like I'll lose it if I don't print it out. LOL) In short! I just am in love with "WORDS ON PAPER."
My Mom sent me this article from Southern Living Magazine because she also has a love affair with books and thankfully passed it on to me. We're not particularly high minded in our love of books. I have lots of Classics in my library but confess I haven't read near about all of them. I dearly love Jane Eyre and equally love the ENTIRE Jan Karon Mitford Series. And, don't even get me started on the Bible!! LOL I just LOVE TO READ!!!
In this Southern Living article, Rick Bragg writes:
"I know that the world of reading has forever changed, that, in this cold winter, many people who love a good book will embrace one that runs on batteries. I know that many of you woke up Christmas morning to find that Santa graced your house with an iPad, or a Kindle, or a Nook, or some other plastic thing that will hold a whole library on a doodad the size of a guitar pick... Someday I may have to read The Grapes of Wrath on the side of a toaster, myself...
But I hope I will never have a life that is not surrounded by books, by books that are bound in paper and cloth and glue, such perishable things for ideas that have lasted thousands of years, or just since the most recent Harry Potter. I hope I am always walled in by the very weight and breadth and clumsy, inefficient, antiquated bulk of them, hope that I spend my last days on this Earth arranging and rearranging them on throned of good, honest pine, oak, and mahogany, because they just feel good in my hands, because I just like to look at the covers, and dream of the promise of the great stories inside...
It is not just the stories, but the physical book, the way I feel when I see the spines, when I read the titles, the very feel of the paper under my fingers as I turn the pages...Every book comes alive in my mind. I like to be in that company. Cicero said a room without books is like a body without a soul, but I don't know about that. I just know I like to have them close, when the sun goes down. (excerpt from "Words on Paper" in Southern Living January 2012)
I (literally) couldn't have said it better myself. Thank you, Rick Bragg, for putting into such beautiful words exactly how I feel about "words on paper." Oh, and thanks for "All over but the Shoutin'!! An amazing book that I absolutely could not put down. (If ya'll haven't read it I highly recommend it.)
So true; thank you, Penny. There is nothing like a book... so many book stores are going under, and it breaks my heart. I see the future generation as one who will never understand the feeling of walking into the book store and appreciating the smell of books (there is nothing like it old or new)... getting lost there only to come to and realize hours have passed... (Julie Stuart)
ReplyDeleteHey, Julie!! How are you??
ReplyDeleteBruce says "hey" too. Thanks so much for checking out his YouTube video. He does sound amazing doesn't he??
I hope you're doing well. Great to hear from you. Take care!!