One day they'll find me buried under a pile of books.
And what a fine way to exit this life
My name is Sam and I’m an addict. I’m addicted to books. Actually that’s not entirely true, I’m addicted to learning. I’m what you might call a serial student.
I’ve always been the same. Always wanting to know more, learn more, explore more. There are worse addictions that’s for sure although my kids will hate me for it when they ultimately have to clean out my house after I’ve gone (having been extracted from under the heaving pile that will ultimately lead to my death) but I can’t help myself and it would seem my daughter is following the same path, eyes like saucers whenever we pass a bookshop.
When the kindle was new and everyone was getting one, I was that person shouting ‘heathen’ verbally snubbing anyone who dared to purchase one (I’m convinced I was a luddite in a previous life). I would ferociously defend the paperback and swore never to defile myself by being in possession of such an instrument of evil. And then my mum gave me hers. I felt like pond scum accepting it but ‘use it for the kids to play games on’ she said. That was tempting and ultimately proved too valuable a gift to turn down, so I made a deal with myself that i would only download games and never books. Until one day a friend recommended a book that was out of print but still available on kindle … I cracked, just this one book I thought, no more, just because its out of print. I now have a large collection of books on my kindle and have even become so lazy as to download the kindle app on my phone, so I can read anywhere, anytime. I’ve experienced the benefit of being able to carry a whole library of books on holiday with me (although I still buy at least one paperback at the airport, because its tradition and wouldn’t feel like a holiday without it). I’ve delighted in the ability to sit in whichever position I want to on the sun lounger and not have to almost break my neck to see the words in front of me due to glare and I have been wooed by the recommended reading suggestions that pop up as ‘similar topics and titles’ which has opened me up to authors that I would have walked past in Waterstones.
Lesson learned. Never say never. That’s a motto I hold on to every day.
Did I ever think I’d own an evil kindle? No. Did I ever think I would run my own business? Jog on. Did I ever think I’d be able to communicate with angels, WTAF?
But in the four walls of my home, my fortress, my Rapunzels castle, I will always and forever, firmly be surrounded by books of all varieties. Romance, fairytales, non fiction, biographies, auto biographies, way too many aromatherapy books to count and my new favourite, books on universal energy and the body’s ability to heal itself. In fact as I’ve been typing this, there was a familiar thud at the door as the Amazon guy delivered me a new Aromatherapy book, because a million clearly isn’t enough.
You want to know something? I have a book for that. And if one day in my future, I do indeed find myself coming to a sticky end as a result of my addiction, I shall die with a a brain full of knowledge, a passion for learning in my heart and a great big fucking smile on my face.
Books I’m loving right now are The Biology of Belief Bruce H Lipton (saw him speak recently in Manchester and he was awesome). How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body, Dr David Hamilton. Quantum Healing, exploring the frontiers of mind/body medicine, Deepak Chopra.