Finally an explanation behind what transpired leading to the finalised concept for this blog, I'll return to my first lover, books. In a much earlier blog entry in "Perfect Vision of God's Way" mourning Borders' demise, I already had the fuzzy impression that I'd start writing blog entries about how God's teachings are lurking in many literature reads, be them popular culture novel or classics, whatever authors from whatever genre or nationality. Surprisingly the Movie Mayhem series in that blog overtook this project and I only came to this baby of mine now, when I realised I had actually kick started it with all that bringing in of Dream of Red Mansions in this blog. Now into the real introduction.I've finally realised I'm most point blank selfish in the way I treat books as a whole. I get severely offended when I see books misclassified or wrong shelved under the wrong category in the libraries and bookstores. Oh ya, don't get me started on dog-eared books and books being mutilated by mishandlement. I cannot recall when it started, but I'll painstakingly give any book "reconstructive surgery" within any means I can to restore it to its original beauty. However turns out this was only stage 1 of “走火入魔”.
At home, what irked me most was if anyone rearranged my book collection on my behalf without me knowing, even if out of goodwill. I definitely appreciate their kind and hard work to assist me, but I'd just be stubbornly angry and this led me into numerous brushes with my parents.
Last night during my visit to Serangoon Library, then I realised the full gravity of my obsessive love for books as a whole. I had a chronic habit of "book hoarding", which defined simply, would be to keep re-borrowing books that I'd completed reading and enjoyed greatly, sometimes just to "relive" snippets. Strictly there is no sin in this, as borrowing of books is on a first-come-first-serve basis, and since they are available on the shelves, I'm entitled to borrow them as any library member can. However, the next problem comes up, by hoarding them constantly, I reduce their availability of being picked up by any other potential readers, and this act is selfish. Others actually get deprived of the chance to enjoy what I've enjoyed. A better way of handling would have been to go down to any bookshop to get myself a copy.
This act of mine is highly similar to staple scenario in many swordfighting novels. I've had a really intense love for this genre of books, but I never realised what an important part of my life they are till this day. Thankfully reading of the Bible and other Christian books has also come into the picture, or maybe I wouldn't see any issue with book hoarding. In the pugilistic novels, there are always a group of pugilists vying for the title of the "ultimate swordman", thus they go into a "live or die" competition, which involves fighting, politicking, backstabbing over some super kungfu pugilistic manual they hoard to themselves in order to attain that status. Thankfully I know of no one who has a mindset even remotely akin of mine when it comes to hoarding of books or else... :p
Yes, I still absolutely love good reads but this selfish mindset may actually eat into other parts of my life and is unhealthy. As the conclusion of many wonderful swordfighting classics by Louis Cha go, eventually the main protagonist gets jaded with the meaninglessness of all this neck-to-neck cut-throat behaviour, and retreats to enjoy a simple life. For me I do not have to come down to such extreme behaviour and do a lifelong "reading fast". Just go buy my own private copy at Kinokuniya will do lah, got membership card mah. :p
