I'm set to be presented a Kindle in a couple of months and ever since I learned this, I've been devoting a few minutes of each day to stare at my cupboard full of books. I've decided to get rid of most of them, especially the ones I've only read once, even if they've been gifted. I'm pretty nifty like that, doesn't take much time for me to sift through objects and decide which ones are relevant, which ones aren't. My nostalgia is nuanced, ruthlessly honed to a fine-tipped craft. Most things will not make the cut.
(My generation has had to say a lot of goodbyes in quick succession to the things we built our lives around. I have a feeling the next lot will find it easier to use & throw.)
So anyway, I've been spending more time off the computer and reading books, hoping my fingers will remember their weight and crinkle long after I give them away, even though I know it won't matter a few months, years and decades from now. I'm disciplining myself to read with more care - my attention wanders disastrously nowadays. I'm preparing for loss and this preparation is bringing new joy into my life.
Everyday I will stare at my cupboard full of books, pick one and say goodbye.
Maybe the books will be gone, but the cupboard - the one that used be in my grandfather's house - will remain.
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