About Me

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Split personality. Liking the arts, especially opera, and hockey and Los Toros. I know, I know THAT one is non pc currently. But I can't help it saw some in Spain and got hooked, but good. But on the other hand right now opera and hockey are in the forefront!

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Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Where do old faves go?

I am, of course talking about books!
Not hockey players, as much as I, and many, would like! Maybe another post?

Went over my book case to dust.
Yes, I do that sometimes, if needed or not.
But stopped soon when  old faves beckoned.
So I ended up re-re-re-reading some last night till the wee hours!
One, "Drei Kameraden" by Erich Maria Remarque
has been read so often the pages are loose and only kept together with a rubber band.
Or else, the book binding was so shoddy it fell apart over the 'mumble' decades in my bookcases.
Whatever, it was so sad to see that.
But I had to dig into it nevertheless.
Carefully turning page after page, keeping them in order!

Now what?
How do I give an old worn out - physically only - otherwise it still fascinates this reader -
book an honorable burial?
There are cemeteries for pets!
So why aren't there cemeteries for beloved books?

I can no longer in all honesty pass it on - too tattered, plus it is in German.
I just can't bring myself to simply toss it in the trash bin!
It's not just a book. It is a beloved one, for heavens sake.
One, that I have read so many times over the years.
One, that I have enjoyed so much.
One, that has caused me to think, to cry, to laugh, to sigh!
One, whose author uses language so cleverly, so deeply felt yet sparingly,
that I feel all the emotion, within expressed, in my body, mind and soul!

And I can not, most definitely not, burn it. Not only because there's a burn ban on.
Nor do I have a pit in a back yard to do it in.
But the idea of book burning causes just too many horrid thoughts .
Going back to the middle ages, books have been burned because some ignoramus felt offended or threatened by the ideas of writers.

I guess  - I'll just put new fresh rubber band around the floppy, discolored pages.
And keep it still, a while longer. Until the bitter end when pages crumble into paper dust!
Maybe tie pretty purple bows
In half mourning as it were, for a - dearly beloved almost departed  - book!
R.I.P.

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