I woke this morning with the thought of driving to Katoomba to a second hand book shop to look for an old book to use for my altered book - soul journey. This book shop is two stories high.. full of books - old and new - all used.
so off I toddled - and looked & looked and looked.. touching, feeling, trying to find the perfect book. You know, one that 'spoke' to me -- I found a couple of art books for $5 each with some great prints in them and then I found MY book. It is perfect...
SWEET THAMES RUN SOFTLY by Robert Gibbings ~ with engravings by the author.
It is a delightful book, it really is.
The man who owns the shop, sits in his arm chair all day, reading. He is old, white haired and wears glasses. He has a knee rug on his knees... even in summer. When I went to pay for MY book - he let out a loud sigh of exclamation(if you can do that) and said to me " oh this is a delightful book, a collectors item and only $5!" ~ " did you see the sketches in them?" ~ well, yes I did, that is why I was buying it... I didn't have the heart to tell him that I wanted to alter it, tear pages out, stick pictures in...... but NOW ~ I am not. I just cannot bring myself to destroy this book, if it means so much to a little old man who sits in a chair all day long. One who lives for and loves his books. No siree, I am using a new art journal.....
In the back of MY book is a postscript. He talks about his travels, trying to find solitude & the world. an excerpt:
so off I toddled - and looked & looked and looked.. touching, feeling, trying to find the perfect book. You know, one that 'spoke' to me -- I found a couple of art books for $5 each with some great prints in them and then I found MY book. It is perfect...
SWEET THAMES RUN SOFTLY by Robert Gibbings ~ with engravings by the author.
It is a delightful book, it really is.
The man who owns the shop, sits in his arm chair all day, reading. He is old, white haired and wears glasses. He has a knee rug on his knees... even in summer. When I went to pay for MY book - he let out a loud sigh of exclamation(if you can do that) and said to me " oh this is a delightful book, a collectors item and only $5!" ~ " did you see the sketches in them?" ~ well, yes I did, that is why I was buying it... I didn't have the heart to tell him that I wanted to alter it, tear pages out, stick pictures in...... but NOW ~ I am not. I just cannot bring myself to destroy this book, if it means so much to a little old man who sits in a chair all day long. One who lives for and loves his books. No siree, I am using a new art journal.....
In the back of MY book is a postscript. He talks about his travels, trying to find solitude & the world. an excerpt:
Admittedly there is cruelty and illness and poverty, but there is also abundance of kindness, good health, and richness of spirit. For every child that cries by the roadway there are fifty who are laughing in the fields; for every bird that is taken by a hawk there are a hundred still singing in the trees. Even in these days when hell bursts upon our world, like boiling lava from a volcano, let us remember that for every insult offered to humanity there are a hundred deeds of heroism.......
that, was written in 1940
that, was written in 1940
17 comments:
I can just imagine you walking through this shoppe of old.... running your fingers over the dusty covers. I bet it smelt wonderfully musty and mysterious too. I make it a rule to only alter books that already have pages missing or something else wrong with it. I totally agree with you... I can feel the essence of the previous owner of the book and how they soaked in the magic of its words. It seems perfectly horrid.
"there are fifty who are laughing in the fields"...
I love this because it brings us hope. All we have to do is look at our neighbours to see that we are either better off than we thought and feeling sorry for ourselves or that we are spoilt rotten and should open our hearts and homes to others.
Beatiful post sweetpea. xox Nicole.
What a wonderfull find, he sounds as if he was a very profound person and hopefully he found what he was looking for.
Maybe this is a piece of what you are looking for, I hope you find more like this to help fill what you are missing.
Take caree
Gill
So glad you decided not to alter that book, I would have made the same decision. I know a 2ndhand bookshop like that about forty miles away from me, I sometmes go to it. It is in an ancient part of town called Priest Popple and it two stories high as well old chairs everywhere you could sit and browse all day.
What a sweetheart you are, not wanting to upset the dear old soul even though he would'nt have known anything about it...I remember once paying to have myself weighed just to earn an old man some money, that was outside Coles or Woolworths, in bourke st in melbourne..he looked so cold in the melbourne winter. My mother in law lived in Katoomba for quite some time..she's a librarian..she thought it was beautiful.
That sounds like such a fun time you had...good for you! Oh my that book sounds like a treasure for sure.
Absolutely love the excerpt from the book. It is nice to hear such faith in mankind. We need a pat on the back once in a while.
Take care,
Connie
Robyn yes its me! Hello!
first can I ask you did you get my email?
There are many blog's to read on the internet but none so honest and so important as yours.........important because the honesty with which you write must flow over to everyone who come to touch "your page"
Important because it shares with others the feelings (your feelings)be they good or sad be they simple of bewitched and that is a rare and important part of who you are.
I am lucky just knowing you are here but even luckier to be able to contribute from time to time to this your incredible blog.
I understand the true reason you will not use the book because you simply were guided by the very words the old man spoke and that is all it takes for a person as sincere as one like you.
well done.
Lee-ann
Hi. Sweet Thames Flow Softly -- Did you know there is a song by the Scots folksinger Ewan MacColl, that has that title? I have it on an record album (remember records?) by the Irish band Planxty. It's a lovely song. I wonder if it's related to your book ...
Wow, isn't it strange that something written in 1940 could seem if is it was written just today, for today? I love that excerpt is it wonderful. There's always something good right around the corner. Thanks for sharing it.
Sigh..after reading this post I wanted to be in that very same book store and meet the gentleman with the knee rug and talk with him about all the wonderful books he's read. I'm so happy you found such a beautiful, beautiful book. It was meant for you, at this very time. I love how that happens, time and time again. ~ Rella
That reminds me of going into Thrift shops and asking if they have bulk jewellery, which they often do. Odd ends and bits and when I tell them I'm going to take it home and tear them apart the people are horrified! I feel like the Goddess Kali, woman of destruction and new birth and have realized, this isn't seen as positive by others as it is by me.
I truly believe your trip to the book shop, your interaction with the lovely old man and ultimately finding that book, was preordained. There was something drawing you and you thought it was to find a book to alter when in fact merely by the excerpt you quoted....there was a message to be found. I would have made the same decision as you and not altered it.
There is something quite wonderful about browsing through old books and then suddenly being drawn to a particular one or more. Next time you should go to that shop perhaps he'd allow you to take his photograph.
XOXO
So like YOU!
I believe you made the soulfully right decision (and isn't that the most important kind?).
"For every child that cries by the roadway there are 50 laughing in the fields"...yes, he's right of course, but my heart cries for that one child.
xoxo
I could spend hours browsing through old books...love it! It sounds as if you found a real treasure. The quote is so timely even though it was written before I was born! I'm glad you decided to keep the book intact and not to alter it. Some old books don't have much personality but when one does it should be a keeper.
I just pictured you in that bookshop with e the old man...like a scene from a movie.complete with Aus. accent! Cool! .. Robyn, remember , you can photocopy pages of the book to use in collages! !!!
That excerpt is like water in the desert. THanks for taking the time to post it.
Love the hippy shop. I can imagine your home will look just like it in no time. lol
A fabulous find - and that postscript is beautifully apt today! xo
Awww... that sounds like an amazing book. Perhaps you sensed his inner child clinging to the book, and that's why you couldn't alter it?
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