“THE SWEETEST HANGOVER”

                             

                                                Confessions Of A Bookaholic

When Diana Ross sang the song, “I Got the Sweetest Hangover” way back when, I didn’t understand the full import of what she said. Now I do.

That song spoke of love, a deep affection for someone or something. I can certainly identify because I feel the same way when it comes to books.

If I don’t or can’t read I become cranky and hard to deal with. Like chocolate to premenstrual symptoms, and coffee to a caffeine addict, I need books to ease the signs of my addiction.

I am one hundred percent cuckoo for cocoa puffs when it comes to my love of books. This is serious business. Am I certifiable, perhaps just a smidgen, harmless, most certainly.  

Yes, folks I can admit that I am an absolute addict when it comes to books.

I go to bed thinking about reading them, and wake up pretty much the same way.

I am not ashamed to admit that I have a real life obsession for hardcover, soft-cover or electronic books. However, I am able to achieve my daily fix doesn’t matter.

I know that I’m not alone in this compulsion when so many other bookaholics exist, admittedly or not. I refuse to be an “in the closet book nerd” or hide what I love to do. Don’t judge me or book shame because I have such a wonderful obsession. I’m not perfect all right, which make me human.

If you need a technical term for this condition that afflicts me and millions of others, you can simply call us Bibliophiles. It means lover of books. Hey we are what we are and proud of it.

Every obsession or addiction has a point of origin and so, I hold my mother responsible for the affliction that affects my life. I blame her because she introduced me to this intoxicating drug when I was very young. At three years of age, she gave me my first books and taught me to read them. I will be forever grateful for this magnificent gift.

As a teenager, I spent countless hours engrossed in reading. Yes I did experience other recreational exercises other than reading to improve my quality of life.

Although, playing a game of hide-an-seek or kickball didn’t seem as exciting as reading a great book.

Humble beginnings didn’t allow me to supplement my habit by buying all the books I wanted. But where there is a will, there most certainly is a way. The public library became my favorite place to obtain all the reading material I needed to supply my book addiction.  

There is something about the way books smell that stimulates the senses as chemical substances do for people who are addicted to them. Whenever I walk inside a bookstore or library, the heady scent of knowledge and new discoveries held within the spinal columns of well-written rows of books overwhelms me.

I always inhale deeply the intoxicating fragrance that wafts throughout the building, igniting desire and unspeakable inspiration for the brain.

I don’t know about you, but a world without books is like an existence without air, both very necessary to my daily existence.

I can honestly say that I am a hoarder of books and proud of it. My collection is extensive and grows each day. Even if I can’t read them all, I will certainly try. It is a personal goal of mine to read as many books as possible, whenever possible.

Now I know that it is not realistic to read every second of the day, but believe me I try.

I often wonder if there are help groups for people like me, such as bookaholics anonymous, or some other reforming organization.

Oh wait a minute, there is. They are called Book Clubs where we can get together with other sufferer’s and talk about our love of books to our hearts content.

I don’t know about you but I require a daily fix to appease my insatiable appetite for reading. Whether if it’s a few stolen moments on a bus ride to work, or an all day thing instead of working I suppose.

To clarify, I am not sneaking off from my desk, locking myself inside the bathroom pretending I’m doing something else. This is not an admission of guilt, I promise.

No, I have a better and wonderful solution that allows me to read and work at the same time. Most importantly, won’t get you or I into trouble.

It’s called audio books. Remember, we discussed them last week on the show.

The perfect resolution for an individual who needs and can’t go a day without reading.

Now I’m positive that I am not alone in this behavior, so as always I consulted Google and found a website, www.bustle.com, who verified this disease that controls lives is not only real but confirmed that we are not an anomaly.

Laura Rutherford-Morrison wrote this wonderful article “10 Signs You’re A Bibliophile, Because So What If You Like Books More Than People?”

Well I won’t go that far, but I do want to share what she has to say about this issue.

1.      You have both a permanent copy and a loaner copy of your favorite books.

2.      You judge other people according to the books they have.

3.      You spend way to much time thinking about book organization.

4.      Used bookstores fill you with glee.

5.       You use books as actual home decor.

6.      You plan to use them as centerpieces at your wedding (or you already did)

7.      Your ultimate fantasy is to have a library in your house.

8.      You would love to travel far and wide to look at books and the homes of the people who wrote them.

9.      You own multiple copies of the same book.

10.   You spend crazy amounts of money on rare books.

Pretty serious huh? I am guilty on most accounts of this list but not all of them thank goodness. I guess some people are deeper in this condition than most.

Overall, I love books. Seriously, I hope a cure for this illness is never discovered. Actually, I’d love to see it spread like decorative vines on a trellis, or millions of wildflowers across endless green fields.  

Too much of anything is never good for you. Unlike other serious mind altering chemicals, this one is actually great for your health. Instead of destroying brain cells, it actually increases them.

Reading is supposed to be fun. It is a gateway to wonderful discoveries.

So don’t feel ashamed of being different or doing what you love most. Pick up a book, find a quiet corner, and read to your heart’s content.