Day 15

Day 15 marked a wonderful and enlivening event.  For two hours yesterday afternoon, I helped to host the Battle for the Books quiz bowl in our school cafeteria.  I had the job of reading/ yelling questions to groups of students from our feeder schools for the entire two hours.  I was amazed by the groups' knowledge of the eighty-five books they were given to read.  Minute details were examined, most of the time, correctly.  The students were so excited when they correctly answered a very specific question about the title and author of a book. It was such good clean fun that I felt happy to be a part of it all.

I was reminded yesterday of my love of books.  Everything about a book makes me feel good: the look of the cover, the feel of the paper pages, the way it spine softens as the book is cradled in one's hands.  I used to be a voracious reader.  I would run through several novels a week.  My favorite genre is historical fiction, but I would read most anything, except science fiction and fantasy.  I so enjoy discussing stories with friends and families.  I miss reading so.

Three years ago I had a little case of shingles down the right side of my face.  It was quite painful and left me with a challenging post-herpetic neuralgia that just refuses to subside.  The trigeminal nerve is a mess and makes my eyes crazy with double vision.  I can read only snipits for a short period of time before being shut down with double vision.  The question reading was causing some upset in my face and ear last night as we finished up the student competition.  It is not fun.  It is not fun at all to have one of my favorite pastimes taken away.

I bring this up today because I felt a longing last night to shop for books.  I used to love spending hours in the book store.  Half-Price books is one of my most favorite places.  I could lose a day perusing the one-dollar book shelf. Just think...for ten dollars I could have TEN books.  I could get cook books, books on gardening and knitting, novels I might have missed from the best-seller lists, and books on health and physical fitness. I would super love to have some cool books on Yoga practices and meditations.  I would fill up my arms and need my husband to carry my extra stack.

Books surrounded me at home, as well.  My nightstand was piled high with the books I was set to read in the coming days. My books made me feel at ease, somehow whole.  Shopping for books made me feel the potential for human growth that comes with reading.  It made me feel like a good citizen of the earth.  Reading made me feel truly human in some way.

Now, I have no place shopping for books.  It is one thing I gave up three years ago.  It has not been an easy fast.  However, it reminds me of my will and power to take control over my life.  It gives me hope for the success of my shopping fast.  If you can read...do it. Spend a hour to two in the book store and just see what's new.  I will be headed to the library.  It offers the best of free shopping and no hassle returns.  Pick up a book.