A Whole New World

I love reading.  A childhood habit which never died.

Remember days when I was a kid, walking far with my parents to buy our monthly quota of books.

Remember the days when I was a little older, but not so much that I was out of Enid Blyton, we started a lending library in the top floor of our house

Remember summer vacations meant the long bus journey to the one library in the city we lived in, to borrow books for the week.

Remember the days when our neighborhood got its own small lending library and cycling down ever so often to finish his collection of books.

Remember the days of train journeys, between college and home, late nights at the station, unreserved compartments, books for company.

There did come a time during my life when books took a backseat,-sun, fun, sea, study, friends, love, dates, projects took over.

Things changed after 2 years,

something which is so much a part of you can not just disappear from your life!

It was back to books, long bus journey to work and back was enough to get a lot of reading done.

Moving to another city, purchasing power increased and discovered book stores!

What joy!

Living alone had its merits, I could read without eating or sleeping or cooking or cleaning or all that mundane activities!!!

Life in Mumbai introduced me to drink while you read,

bookstores actually had coffee shops where you could sit and sip and finish a book!! Weekend bliss!

Suddenly life changed, uncertainties! Unfortunately airline baggage policy gave no special consideration for readers!

All the books collected over the years got packed and sealed in carton box to be opened on an unknown date!

Thus a new journey was begun and the destination was far more amazing!!

Miracle called public libraries!

I could read all I wanted, for free!!!!

And I did!

Fortune favors the brave and Brave I was,

Braved the cold wind, sleet, snow and walked to the library to get my fill!!

I lived to read!

Life is a pack of cards, very often we get dealt a bad hand, but a smart player knows how to deal with this and yet emerge a winner!

The bad cards came, tears blurred my vision.

Dealt with the game, emerged the winner, I could see clearly again... books returned into my life!

Now there are more than I can handle. In a household of 5, there are 4 avid readers with varied tastes!!

4 bookshelves, more books inside the bed storage and divan storage and a neighboring brother’s house filled with books as well!!

Oh yes… a Kindle sits on one of the book shelf!!

Someone once asked me, why do I sacrifice sleep to read-

I travel in time with the author to experience unknown places, people, culture, climates.

Emotions are exposed and feelings explored.

But am still a book worm, call me old fashioned- I cannot get used to the e-book concept… yet!

Read!

It’s a whole new world out there!