I hate shopping. Yes, I can be a stereotypical guy. When my wife says that we need two silver vases of different sizes to put atop our dining room hutch, I just have to scratch my head and ask, why and how much? It doesn’t help that I am voted down by both my wife and my sister-in-law (who doesn’t live in our house, but somehow has a vote. Apparently, it’s a sister thing. Or maybe it’s a girl thing. I haven’t quite figured it out yet, but I digress…). And when faced with this obstacle, I did what any husband would do. Two silver vases sit in my dining room, along with a silver bowl that has nothing in it and is full of holes.
Now, as much as I hate shopping, there is one way to guarantee that I’ll behave and be more amiable towards a useless purchase. Just promise to take me to a book store. In addition to the stack of comic books purchased each month, I always make sure to have enough to put towards a book purchase or two. Or in my case, seven.
Today, I went to the mailbox to find my latest order from Chapters had arrived. In every purchase that I make, I try to be eclectic with my choices. Some stuff I have already read, some I have heard about here and there, and some I have been dying to read, but have never gotten around to it.
Now, a lot of you may ask, why not just go to the library? After all, it’s free and doesn’t take up permanent shelf space which is already at a premium in my house. All of you who ask this question are quite nosy, and should perhaps look into ways to improve that. However, since you have already pried into my business, I am not shy to tell you that there is a certain amount of satisfaction in owning a crisp, unopened book. The covers are clean and shiny and new. The spine is unbent. It still has that new book smell. Don't get me wrong, I love the library, but there is nothing like getting a new book to call your own.
Plus, when my wife and I one day get a bigger house, I have a dream that there will be a room with wall-to-wall bookshelves, a spot to place my comic books, a La-Z-Boy in the middle and a writing desk tucked away in a corner. The books I have collected will be placed perfectly on the shelf and my sanctuary will be born.
And so, I collect my books. I place them with care on my bookshelf, closet, wherever they will fit. And I read, and I write, and I dream.
Now, as much as I hate shopping, there is one way to guarantee that I’ll behave and be more amiable towards a useless purchase. Just promise to take me to a book store. In addition to the stack of comic books purchased each month, I always make sure to have enough to put towards a book purchase or two. Or in my case, seven.
Today, I went to the mailbox to find my latest order from Chapters had arrived. In every purchase that I make, I try to be eclectic with my choices. Some stuff I have already read, some I have heard about here and there, and some I have been dying to read, but have never gotten around to it.
Now, a lot of you may ask, why not just go to the library? After all, it’s free and doesn’t take up permanent shelf space which is already at a premium in my house. All of you who ask this question are quite nosy, and should perhaps look into ways to improve that. However, since you have already pried into my business, I am not shy to tell you that there is a certain amount of satisfaction in owning a crisp, unopened book. The covers are clean and shiny and new. The spine is unbent. It still has that new book smell. Don't get me wrong, I love the library, but there is nothing like getting a new book to call your own.
Plus, when my wife and I one day get a bigger house, I have a dream that there will be a room with wall-to-wall bookshelves, a spot to place my comic books, a La-Z-Boy in the middle and a writing desk tucked away in a corner. The books I have collected will be placed perfectly on the shelf and my sanctuary will be born.
And so, I collect my books. I place them with care on my bookshelf, closet, wherever they will fit. And I read, and I write, and I dream.
No comments:
Post a Comment