Words, Words, Words

I’ve gone 14 months being the calm reserved one during this horrible mess. I’m beginning to lose my sense of pride over that fact.

---

In full disclosure I had a wee bit of a breakdown about two weeks into the start of this pandemic. The thought of its impact overwhelmed me and I started to cry whilst talking on the phone. Lucky for me, my friend 5,342 miles away was on the line to catch me.

My waterworks moment didn’t last long. Just long enough for my body to release built up stress. Who knew what I was empathising with then was going to be overshadowed to what this tragedy is today.

---

On Tuesday I get my 2nd jab. Tuesday. It seems like that day is a forever way away. And this weekend especially I’m finding myself having to remind myself to have a little more patience.

But since yesterday morning, my rather stubborn inner voice keeps asking: Will this day NEVER end?

That’s not sarcasm folks, that’s a plea.

---

So. I’m distracting my dear Self by hanging out in my Reading Room amongst my many shelves filled with my many books.

I’m playing the Desert Island Discs game.

Think of it as my way of hugging.

---

Since 1942, the BBC has weekly asked one person to pick 8 of their favourite recordings (mostly music) to have on hand if ever they were cast away on a deserted island.

Fun fact I found out today: Desert Island Discs and I share the same birthday.

It used to feature only classical pieces, but in the last decade or so it’s become more international and contemporary.

And it’s charming to discover people’s “must haves” as they do their finest Tom Hanks impression.

In my Reading Room, the scenario is the same, just with books instead.

---

Whilst I have an impressive digital collection of music ready when BBC4 comes ‘a knockin for real, it’s really my physical library of books that challenges me in today’s castaway game. And by challenges, I mean panics.

---

See, I have a passion for my books like others have for their favourite teams. With the exception of the Bible, Shakespeare and my Dictionaries, I’ve read front to back at least once all the books I bought in my library. I say at least once because I do rinse and repeat a few (Tolkien and Jane Austen come to mind).

---

My books are my Preciousssss.

The idea of missing one makes me feel less of a Hobbit.

But my Sunday version of Desert Island takes my possessiveness to a whole new level of mental: What can I leave behind? What can I not live without? What am I willing to never read again? Which pages can handle the sun? What are you looking at?

It’s madness I tell you. Madness.

But!

I persevered.

Por supuesto 🙂

---

In no order of appearance, I'm washing ashore with:

• The Holy Bible, King James Version – Red Letter Edition

• The Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (w/ magnifying glass)

• Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

• A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth

• The Complete Works of William Shakespeare – Longmeadow Press

• Birds of North America: Eastern Region – Smithsonian Handbooks

• The Colour Purple – Alice Walker

• The Tale of the Genji (unabridged) – Lady Murasaki Shikibu, translated by Edward Seidensticker

• The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde – Edited by Merlin Holland and Rupert Hart-Davis

• War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy

• The Odyssey – Homer, translated by Robert Fagles

• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings – Maya Angelou

• Asterix The Gaul – Goscinny and Uderzo

• Still Life – A.S. Byatt

• Grimm’s Complete Faery Tales – The Brothers Grimm

• The Lyttelton/Hart-Davis Letters, Volumes Three and Four – Edited by Rupert Hart-Davis

• The Lord of the Rings – J.R.R. Tolkien

• The Complete Calvin and Hobbes Paperback (Box set) – Bill Watterson

---

I tried to keep my catalog to 8 but ended up with 18 instead.

I’m afraid I’m going to need a second dingy.

Happy Sunday.