Bookshelf Ransack
A good book on your shelf is a friend that turns its back on you and remains a friend. ~ AnonymousRecently when I was at home, I had to look up a word in the dictionary. So, I quickly snatched one of the shabby dictionaries on my bookshelf. While I was putting it back on the bookshelf, I realized that I seldom pay attention to the bookshelf that I have in my study. Well, come to think of it, I rarely spend time in my study anyway. In fact, it has become more like a store room than a study.
Realizing that the shabby dictionary really came in handy when I needed it, my eyes darted a glance at all the books that I have on the bookshelf, thinking that maybe, the rest of the books that I've neglected would also come in handy some day. Like the shabby dictionary, most of the books there are old, but I still keep them for the simple reason that I appreciate books and hate the thought of letting go of them. Some of the books are career-related; those that I had brought back from my office because the bookshelves that I have in my office were rather cramped. Some were really, really old and I was amazed that I had actually kept them. You can tell, just by looking at the titles. I mean, I have this KIMIA SPM book that I used when I was in Form 4 & 5. I guess I keep it because chemistry was my favourite science subject and I sort of excelled in it. Next is MANUSIA DAN ISLAM which was the textbook that I used when I was doing my matriculation. It was written by Haron Din so I guess it goes without saying that it's a keeper. I also came across a lot of the textbooks that I used during my undergrad years. Man alive, I even found my primary and secondary report cards! But one particular book that caught me by surprise was this scrapbook that I used to pen down poems in Malay back in 1992 (could be earlier than this, I am not sure). I had completely forgotten about this book but I remember that when I was young, I used to write poetry in Malay to record my feelings and observations. It's been ages and I smiled sheepishly, since most of the poems are mushy by today's standards. My kids would probably grimace with pain! But they are still my thoughts (although in the past) and I'm sure if I had had a blog back then, I would have posted them. Some of the things that I felt back then could even resemble what I feel in the present, I thought. What the heck, I guess I'll just post them anyway. So, the moral of this story is, don't neglect your bookshelf. You'll never know what you've kept hidden.
Realizing that the shabby dictionary really came in handy when I needed it, my eyes darted a glance at all the books that I have on the bookshelf, thinking that maybe, the rest of the books that I've neglected would also come in handy some day. Like the shabby dictionary, most of the books there are old, but I still keep them for the simple reason that I appreciate books and hate the thought of letting go of them. Some of the books are career-related; those that I had brought back from my office because the bookshelves that I have in my office were rather cramped. Some were really, really old and I was amazed that I had actually kept them. You can tell, just by looking at the titles. I mean, I have this KIMIA SPM book that I used when I was in Form 4 & 5. I guess I keep it because chemistry was my favourite science subject and I sort of excelled in it. Next is MANUSIA DAN ISLAM which was the textbook that I used when I was doing my matriculation. It was written by Haron Din so I guess it goes without saying that it's a keeper. I also came across a lot of the textbooks that I used during my undergrad years. Man alive, I even found my primary and secondary report cards! But one particular book that caught me by surprise was this scrapbook that I used to pen down poems in Malay back in 1992 (could be earlier than this, I am not sure). I had completely forgotten about this book but I remember that when I was young, I used to write poetry in Malay to record my feelings and observations. It's been ages and I smiled sheepishly, since most of the poems are mushy by today's standards. My kids would probably grimace with pain! But they are still my thoughts (although in the past) and I'm sure if I had had a blog back then, I would have posted them. Some of the things that I felt back then could even resemble what I feel in the present, I thought. What the heck, I guess I'll just post them anyway. So, the moral of this story is, don't neglect your bookshelf. You'll never know what you've kept hidden.
Comments