Some people bring TV’s to college, some bring their pets, but I brought 101 books. I get that number may seem a bit arbitrary, but the books are only part of the larger story here: my bookshelf.
When I lived in the dorms last year, I dreamed of the day where I would have my own bookcase in my apartment. As silly as it sounds, it’s what kept me motivated to do well in school. I made my parents promise that I could get a bookshelf when I moved into an apartment. I didn’t care so much about having a TV because I knew most of my free time would be spent reading.
I think until you’re as much of a book enthusiast as I am, it’s hard to understand, but my goal is to help you understand it through this post.
Books bring me joy. I will be the first to admit that I probably won’t get through all 101 books while I am away at college. With my heavy class schedule, I’ve only read three books so far, but my own bookshelf has brought myself and other people happiness already.
I distinctly remember when my dad was putting the shelves together. I tried to patiently wait, as best as I could, for it to be finished. Once it was finished, my mom offered to help me put books on the shelves. I didn’t want to say no, but my dad did for me. My dad knew how much of a therapeutic task it was for me to put my own books on the shelf one-by-one.
I’m happy that my bookshelves can give me so much joy, but I am also happy that it brings so much joy to other people such as my roommate. I sometimes catch her going into my room at random moments to see my bookshelf. I remember the look on her face when she first saw my bookshelf when it was completed. Her face looked just like mine when I saw it. It was a smile that lit up a whole room. I watched her face as she looked through all the books and mentioned which books she wanted to borrow.
I sometimes catch myself just stopping to stare at the books from time to time. I pick up random books, and I search through the book and read the back cover that I’ve already read time and time again. It makes me eager and giddy to think of all the stories I have yet to uncover.
