On Buying Books

(Below is my second entry to Dear Reader contest 2012 by Suzanne Beecher, which also didn't win : ), and still perhaps because of my English that needs improvement.)

I don’t know whether this is a talent or a mere coincidence; whether many people experience it or not; and whether or not there are writers who have already written about this topic. But, I found out that most of the time I never buy same books. I mean, I have many books in my house, but I always buy books in different titles. Have you ever experienced this, too? 

         

            Perhaps I (we) often write the same topics in our writings, but I never buy the same books twice. As if I remember all the titles of my books, even though I couldn’t remember EXACTLY what the titles are. Unlike Will Hunting who could mention all of his 12 brothers in the movie, Good Will Hunting. Twice. 

            The funny thing is that my wife even said, “Dear, please don’t buy more books until we have the newer bookcase for your books.” I suppose she can hardly remember or recall any of my books, otherwise she would have prevented me from buying or keeping another books again. But, my hands cannot be stopped from buying books, unless the source is also stopped, i.e. Rp, the Indonesian money currency. Yet, perhaps even though if I have no money, I still can borrow or read some books at libraries or just go to bookstores, or have friends of mine to lend me books. And when my eyes encounter new (whether secondhand or new release books), I know that I still don't have those books, so I would buy them.

         

            When I am on the bookstore, either just to read or before eventually buying some books, I could stand for hours in reading or searching for books—like four or five hours, without sitting! And here in Jakarta, Indonesia, whenever there is a book festival, such as recently held Jakarta Book Fair 2012, I would go there, hunting for books, and need no rest until I get really, really tired. Now I can’t do that if I go to a mall with my wife, accompanying her to buy her clothes or other things. I can even barely stand for half an hour.

         

            It is perhaps because when I search, buy for books, I redirect the feelings of my exhausted legs into my heart which has a passion for books and writings, so I don’t feel pain. But, when I go to the mall with my wife, I tend to place those energies to walk into my mind which tells me to be weary soon enough without being enthusiastic in helping her. However, I should be more able to balance my enthusiasm and energy when buying books or accompanying my wife.

            The question is: I (you) do have many books, but do you (I) have many books? I mean, our own books that we have written. Our books, whether the ones that we buy or write, are for our next generations, our legacy for them. Our dedication.