bookworm

the demise of borders has saddened me, and moreso lately with the official news of its immediate liquidation plans.  i have many fond memories at borders, the most recent one a few summers ago after my husband and i first moved into our house.  we were exploring the area and discovered the store, deciding to spend the rest of our evening leisurely walking up and down the aisles.  aftewards, as the sky darkened into night, the sound of fireworks caught us by surprise, but we realized they were coming from the baseball game nearby and we had the best seats in town: in our car in that borders parking lot.

i can spend hours in a bookstore.  i'm not sure what it is: getting lost amidst the shelves, perusing covers until one catches my eye; touching the pages which hold that "new smell"; people watching; finding that quiet, private corner to skim the summary or read the first few opening lines of a book, deciding whether it will be coming home with me tonight.  although i'm usually with someone upon entering the store, we're always parting ways at the door, looking to tap into our interests separately.  i've found that browsing is almost a very intimate process.

discount bookstores are an even bigger draw for me.  think about it.. books, and at a great price?  what could be better?  i could get 4 for the price of 1!  so i'm literally able to spend twice as long in these warehouse outlets, piling up my basket until it's almost too heavy to carry.  often, i am surprised by how many hours have elapsed by the time i make it home.

hubbie and i share a joint love for books, so much so that we want our own library room one day, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves along each wall, filled to capacity with books.  although i have a kindle, i enjoy owning books of all kinds.  i hope this desire doesn't fade as technology advances in the future.

in any event, i think this fondness (or craving, really) for books is more for what i find inside of them:  knowledge.  experience.  openness.  insight.  all of this from what we call life and what others are pulling and sharing from their lives.  like a quote i saw on a school today: learn to live.  live to learn.  sounds like a good slogan live by.