Books are magic. We read them. We appreciate them. We collect them. We sugges them. We pass them on. But we also hoard them at times.
It’s a different feeling altogether to own the books you’ve always wanted to. Not everyone will understand this and these are the people who will ask you,”Why hoard books”?
A Twitter user, Vivek Tejuja, answered this question beautifully.
Why do I hoard books? A thread.
— vivek tejuja 🌈 (@vivekisms) November 17, 2021
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Books act as defense. They build a wall around me. All of them. My emotions can hide behind them, most of the time. I hoard because my emotions are perhaps drained and I need to renew them and books help. (1/5)
Just the touch and feel of books gives hope to a book lover. Have you ever turned the pages of a book randomly and felt satisfied? That’s why.
I hoard because I can touch, I can feel, I can turn the pages randomly, even though so so so many are unread. There’s still hope of getting to them some day. I hoard because there’s semblance of life. I hoard because to my mind there’s no other way to be. (2/5)
— vivek tejuja 🌈 (@vivekisms) November 17, 2021
In a world where one cannot trust people around or wait for them until eternity books will always be by your side. They don’t cheat or judge you.
I hoard because in a world of superficiality, this seems real and is. I hoard because it’s tiring to wait on people, to expect them to call or answer my phone, or even be there. This is easier. They are always there and even when they aren’t there for me, it’s okay. (3/5)
— vivek tejuja 🌈 (@vivekisms) November 17, 2021
You can count on them in the darkest of hours. They’ll give you solace when you need it the most and peace of mind when nothing seems to be working.
I hoard because the loneliness feels familiar at night. When I’m surrounded by books, when the lights go off, and when I can know through touch, which book it is. There’s the familiar. The awareness that some things stay, even if people don’t. And that’s why I hoard. (5/5)
— vivek tejuja 🌈 (@vivekisms) November 17, 2021
Vivek concludes his thread with the thought that books are the only constant once can depend upon. They just stay.
So don’t feel guilty for owning books you’ve already read or those you will never read because it’s the feeling that matters.
