Book Sale fed my weakness

My wife is into scrapbooking.

Scrapbookers have stuff. A lot of stuff.  If you are the husband of a scrapbooker, you will know what I am talking about. 

My wife has carts and totes of different kinds of paper, trinkets, embellishments, and empty binders just ready for the filling with (I admit) beautifully-designed pages. 

This is her hobby, and I am happy with it because if it were left up to me, our memories would be crammed into photo books, you know the way people scrapbooked a generation ago.

Scrapbooking is her weakness. Mine is books. I love books. I love looking at my books on the shelves, in piles in our closet. I love being in book stores and could easily spend hours looking at books.

To me, having a bunch of books is really a form of art and self-expression. It soothes me to have not only beloved stories but information I find useful at my disposal.

I really don’t know how many books I own, and it really doesn’t matter. My books take up space, just like my wife’s scrapping supplies.

I recently learned of the term “abibliophobia,” the fear of being without books. I already knew I was a bibliophile (a lover of books) and that I periodically experience bibliomania (an uncontrollable obsession for books), but I didn’t know it could work in reverse.

I laugh to myself when I hear people talk about how real books will become obsolete in favor of digital formats. Yes, I use a computer for work and have my phone attached to my body, but I would never consider reading a book on an electronic device. I stare at one all day for work. Why would I want to look at one to read for pleasure? No thank you. 

To me, the simplicity and usefulness of a physical printed book will never be obsolete. No cables, charging, electricity or Wi-Fi are required.

I know I don’t need any more books, but I want books. The smell, the weight, the texture of the paper, the photographs or illustrations — it all soothes my soul. This year, as in past years, the Montgomery Public Library held its Book Sale. I went on Saturday morning shortly after it opened. I didn’t need books because I have some books I haven’t read yet. But I had to attend because you never know what you might find. A favorite author? A first edition? An autographed copy? A lot of that was there.

If you need some books, the sale’s last day is today. The Library is open until 7 p.m. tonight.