a drop of water

This idea has been ruminating in my head since I started cleaning out my shelves of books that I read once, maybe twice and which now are collecting dust, in order to make room for Jenn’s new school books.  I typically purchase books on the friends recommendations or because I’m familiar with the author.  I buy because I liked reading “new” books (this has started to change as I’ve found myself borrowing more and more books with others notes scribbled alongside the margins).  I buy because for some silly reason I’ve incorporated a shelf full of “famous” books into my identity of accomplishment or self worth.

So what if I purchased books with the intention of giving them away or purposefully sharing them with friends, family and people around me?  Instead of buying new books to fill up dusty shelves that must be cleaned and take up space, the money invested in the purchase of the book would be reinvested in the lives of those around me.  Books are one of those things in life have can keep on giving if given the opportunity.  My $10 could go much farther if the book I buy is being passed around, instead of sitting on my shelf.  Not owning the books you’ve read does cause a problem when you want to refer to it again, but this can be solved by 1. A library or 2. keeping a good book journal as you read of quotes, passages and ideas that you are forming and want to remember later.  Keeping the book journal may seem like a pain, but writing things down helps me retain more of what I read.  I don’t want to read just for the moment (sometimes that is the case, maybe), but I want to read more so for the long term planting of seeds in my mind.  I can read all the books in the world, but if I retain nothing, what the difference between that and not reading at all.  Books mentor me, and if I can retain more from my mentor, then good.

Buying a book with the intention of giving it away when you are done helps remove some the financial and impersonal obstacles of idea exposure.  What I mean is, when you give someone a book as a gift, they are probably more likely to read it than to find it on their own and either buy it or borrow it from the library.  Giving a book away creates ground for future discussion on the book, aka relationship and community.

So what if we were to take this perspective to everything we buy.  What if we made the things we buy more accessible to our community.  It takes some risk, but it is ultimately acknowledging that the resources you have are not just for your benefit, but also for the benefit of those around you.  What if we buy things with the intention of sharing it or giving it away.  Obviously consumables wouldn’t fall into the category of “giving it away” but they might be able to be shared to some extent.  I think this encourages taking good care of the stuff you buy, since when you share it, or give it away, you want the person receiving it to not feel like you are giving them your trash.  I could see this working with kitchen appliances (mixers), particular electronic devices (scanners), gardening tools, etc.  It would be a lot easier if I lived closer to people who had a like mind, but still doable.  So if you need anything of mine, just let me know.