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| Books |
| Tuesday, January 10, 2012 |
I dont remember the details clearly, I was 10 years old. I remember walking with this new friend in a new city to a nearby library. She picked up some books to read and loaned me a book in her membership card. I picked up the second book of the Famous Five. The book engaged me the next few nights. That is when my love for books developed.
The following months saw me pestering my Dad for a library membership. The summer after Std 6 exams saw me finish a book a day, the whole day spent lying in bed or sprawled on the sofa, only physically present, the mind in UK in that special imaginary island that George owned, drinking ginger ale and eating sandwiches. I loved the imaginary characters Julian, Dick, George and Ann. I liked George the most. Aloof, shy, rebellious and daring. She wanted to be a boy. She was different. She had cropped hair and almost passed for a boy many a times. I was impressed. Julian, Dick and Ann were the normal kids, liking normal things, doing the usual stuff kids do. Not George. Thats what resonated with me. I realized many years later that George had surreptitiously stolen a place in my mind and was the reason why I am the way I am. Who you are is mostly determined by one of the things, your parents, your friends, your surroundings and your books. I have always wondered why I hated being the damsel in distress, or dressing up in jewels. I also wondered why I prefered to look and dress as casual as possible, and purposefully not be conscious of how I looked. When I actually realized this one day out of the blue, I was shocked. My Mom dresses very well. Most of my friends were sensible with a decent interest in clothes and dressing up, like they should. Somehow I liked jeans more than skirts. I liked short hair more than long hair. I skipped girly affairs like bangles and chains and earrings.My MIL often wonders how I am not like other women/girls she knows. My In Laws say, I am of a different category. The conversation in limelight happened when we were in general talking about MIL's DILs etc and MIL was telling something about the other DIL. I hesitatingly albeit jokingly asked," So what do you think of how I am or the way I treat you here?" And they answered, "Oh you are of a different league, we have no expectations from you." I think they meant that they have 'thanni thelichufied' or given up on me. I do respect them for letting me be. Although I doubt them doing anything else would make me change.
When we moved back to Chennai I immediately forced Dad to get a library membership. Renga Lending Library saw me grow from a little girl reading Enid Blytons, to a teenager reading John Grisham, Tom Clancy and the likes. Even Board Exams did not deter me from reading. The long journey to school in the bus, I was often lost in another world, oblivious to my surroundings. Oh how I loved that state!
Somehow grad school and the super hectic and erratic schedules put a full stop to my reading. I am ashamed to say I have never been able to pick it up no matter how hard I tried, save for the childish Harry Potter books and the likes. Now reading is reduced to a sorry state where its forced, consciously. The last unputdownable book I read was Da Vinci Code in 2004. I was reading the book at Barnes and Nobles and it was so engrossing that when it was time for the store to close, I bought the book because I couldnt part with it. I finished the book the same night, and returned the book the next day for a refund.
I have been reading books on and off. Some books were dropped halfway. I read The Robe by Lloyd Douglas recently. A gift from A's father when they visited us. It transported me to the beginning of AD, when Christ was crucified. Images of Jerusalem from my recent visit helped me get engaged and enchanted by the story weaved meticulously. Rome and Athens of the yore and the people made the book an utterly delectable read. Still, something was different. I wasnt completely lost in the ancient world. I was very much aware of trudging the elliptical while reading about Marcus wandering in Greece. What a bummer!
I miss those carefree days when you can just get lost in a book. I miss those hot summer holidays when I used to not care about being alone or lonely, but was content being with a book all day taking breaks only to eat, unaware of time passing by or even days passing by. I miss those days when I was delighted to start reading a book as soon as I woke up. I did not miss anyone or anything.
Often enough I resolve to make reading a priority. Books show you the mind of another person. Books help you associate. Books let you imagine. They are your window to the unknown world. I remember imagining New York and San Francisco, Belgium and England, not to mention boarding schools and dorms, alleyways and corridors, caves and islands. Those were the days sans-Internet, nothing to give you that instant gratification. Frankly I think books make you a deeper person. They make you think, ruminate, and revive thoughts buried deep in the brains' crevices. They give food for thought. They fight boredom. Sometimes they also tell you you are not alone!
They say your friends tell you about the kind of person you are. I say, even your books tell you what kind of a person you are. I hoard on books. I have dreamt of having a library at home. I can never throw away or give away books. For, was it not to own these very books I dreamed of? Dad never let me own books. Why own when you can borrow he used to say? I picked up lots of books in a library sale in Madison. I lugged them wherever I moved. I use to make lot of impulse buys. If only buying books were equal to reading them! DH dissuaded me from buying books before reading the ones I already owned. I havent read half of the books. One day, when I find the time and enthu, when that little girl excited by the world of books, ready to be transported,comes out, I am sure she will, I will sit and read. I will sit and read like there is no tomorrow. Until then, I will make a forced effort to read. I will switch of the mindless TV and just force myself to read. |
posted by SK @ 12:59 PM  |
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| 6 Comments: |
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Hi, First time here.
Very nicely written. I agree with you about the books you read shaping your personality. Your summer vacations sound a lot like mine, spent blissfully in the company of books.
With family, work and countless other responsibilities reading has taken a backseat for me.I would so love to immerse in a book without a care...alas, not happening any time soon :)
-Dips
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Have you tried the kindle yet? I recently caved and got one and that really was what I needed to get back to reading. I could so relate to your post. Every last word of it!
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I usually read your posts from google reader app and too lazy to comment. But I had to comment here because I was sitting in a public library after a long time, and was relishing the silence, the nostalgic aroma of books that you can only get in a library.. and I saw your post. That was a great coincidence!.
I'm back to traveling on my job and guess what..a library is right opposite to my workplace. It was just a matter of time before I ended up there.
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Ha! That's where I became a 'gone-case' with jewellery! You know? You sound so similar to me sometimes, I feel like I am walking around in my brain!
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Hi,
I loved this post, I too fell in love with books at an early age and haven't stopped since.
There are days when I cannot read because of being a mom and working full time....but I manage to read a few pages here and there. I always take browse in libraries and in old book stores, I own, I rent, I trade although not quite like before.
Read a little whenever you can.
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Dips, Welcome! I know! I miss those days too! We can only make an effort to read, rest is not in our hands with all the commitments.
Enkay, No Kindle but have tried reading on the iPad. Somehow dont feel like spending bucks on ebooks. :--(
Lonestar, travelling again-a?! sucks! library close by, make the best use of it! :--))
Saumya, LOL!!! :--D Gone case indeed ahha!
Anon, yep trying to read whenever I can, bu its not like old times :--(
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Hi, First time here.
Very nicely written. I agree with you about the books you read shaping your personality. Your summer vacations sound a lot like mine, spent blissfully in the company of books.
With family, work and countless other responsibilities reading has taken a backseat for me.I would so love to immerse in a book without a care...alas, not happening any time soon :)
-Dips