The Call of Books

 

For 38 years during my working life, I focused on practical learning, reading mainly books that helped me develop the knowledge and skills needed for my job. However, soon after retiring, I found myself gradually drifting away from reading. Over the years, whenever I moved to a new home, I would discard most of the books I had read, keeping only those I considered important enough to revisit. As a result, I do not own a particularly large collection. Even so, my bookshelves remain full, and I rarely take most of those books down to read. Now, four years into retirement, I have finally decided to part with books that I am unlikely to read again, especially practical books related to my career. I do so with a sense of gratitude for the knowledge and support they once provided. Most of these books are filled with underlines and notes I made while reading them, so used bookstores will not accept them. Although it feels somewhat wasteful, I ultimately dispose of them as recyclable paper. I am sure everyone has their own perspective on discarding books, but for me, the process brings a sense of mental clarity. It feels much like letting go of household items that have sat unused for years, quietly collecting dust. Of course, there are still books on my shelves that I hope to reread, as well as others that I never finished reading in the first place. Now that there is more space on my bookshelf, I sometimes feel as though I can hear a faint voice coming from those books, gently inviting me to open them once again.

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