“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.”
Joseph brodsky
Okay, so I didn’t actually burn my books. I did, however, recycle and donate almost all of them this past week. Our previous home got to the point where an entire room was bursting with books, so I completed a huge purge there. The books that survived made it to our current house. As I donated, sold, and trashed other personal items in our current house as part of my ongoing döstädning over the last several months, my shelf of remaining books always lurked in the corner of our bedroom. Also, I had a few books hiding out in the office closet.
The eradication of these books was difficult for me for two reasons. First, many of the books I valued for sentimental reasons. Second, I valued the books for potential reference purposes. The books that remained consisted mostly of investment books, legal reference books, and books related to outdoor adventures in the Southwest–four-wheeling guides, hiking guides, river trip guides, books about flora, fauna, and geology, and maps. Also, I had Tony Robbins’ Unlimited Power and Awaken the Giant Within.
The books highlighted stages of my life and somewhat obsessive interests that I had at certain times. Many of the books had pages that were earmarked top and bottom, passages that were underscored, and margins that were noted.
As to references, the reality is that I had barely looked at any of the books since we moved into our current house in May 2024. Prior to that, I had only reopened a few of them here and there over the years.
So I would be moving them again, for what? Fact is if I absolutely need the information in these books one day, likely I could find similar information on the internet. If push comes to shove, I suppose I could buy whatever book it would be that I would so desperately need, although this time around, I’d probably just download it.
As to sentimentality, there’s a place for that. However, I see a fine line between nostalgia and clutter, both literally and figuratively. I think practicing the art of non-attachment and letting go is helpful for me. In the end, nothing is ours to keep. Besides, for the books that I donated, someone else can enjoy and learn from them, now. I’ve read them, I’ve been shaped by them, and now it is somebody else’s turn.
What books did I keep? The Bible, a college yearbook, and a supplementary manual for my vehicle. I don’t need two bookshelves for three books, so I donated those, too.
With Love,
P. Gustav Mueller, author of The Present