by ozziepost 51 Replies latest jw friends
Ad a dub, I had about 500 books, most of which the mere possession of would have gotten me reproved at the very least or DFed at the very worst. This bothered me a lot. I had grown up in an anti-intellectual environment, I had seen the films of the Nazi book-burnings, and now I was in a religion in which I could get in trouble for having a BOOK?
Now, as a non-dub, I must have three or four thousand.
Beck, I'll send some of my books to you, sugar buns.
francois
My (JW) parents had well over a thousand books of all kinds in addition to a huge collection of JW books going back to Russell and Rutherfords day, so I was kind of brought up with books (Urghh... just found a tick from the dog on my leg... YUK! Squish...). I actually got in trouble from my teacher in Grade 7 for having too many books at school that I was reading simultaniosly!
I probably had around 100 of my own non-JW books while I was active, it was the choice of spending money on books or food or the rent - on part-time pay it was that kind of choice.
Now it's a matter of whether I'll spend my time satisfying my workoholism, sleeping, watching meaningless but restful drivel on TV or reading one of our, say, 300 books (including my work libary) on science, food/cooking, computers, travel, education, novels, a bit of literature, health, a couple on philosophy/religion and other bits and bobs (a 9yo neighbour said a while ago we had a lot of bibles on the shelf for non-believers!!!)
What am I reading now??? One about military special operations and one about Intellegence (spy type) both quite dry academic style that are very interesting and satisfying but are taking me a long time to get through...
In the toilet I've got the Lonley Planets for Thailand and Europe, a picture book about espionage and a Web Design book (the toilet at my parents home had a wall full of book-lined shelves, ran out of space everywhere else!!!)
On my desk now (ie: the things I'm pretending to myself that I might refer to...) are the Macquarie Dictionary (someone used a word to describe a condition they had that enabled them to apparently have intercourse with themselves, and I was intriuged to know what it ment - the word wasn't there, but the root was...); Crisis of Conscience to see what Ray had to say about Don Adams given the post earlier today - nothing; a book about writing essays that I got down to avoid actually having to write the one that was due five weeks ago; Cisco, Database, Systems Admin, HTML, and Office 2000 books that are there to make me think I actually know somthing about any of those things (given I teach about them...), empty beer bottle, overdue bills, passport and the Laws of AFL Football 2001 edition. (And the pile of newspapers in the lounge room is up to a foot now (Mrs Divergent being away).
So... that's my book thing. I'd guess you're wondering if the R&F are well read - I can't say that I remember many who were.
Cheers, Max
Edited by - Max Divergent on 21 July 2002 10:52:10
Edited by - Max Divergent on 21 July 2002 11:5:43
As a dub, I owned a few Bible translations that were not the NWT. Other than that, I cannot remember owning anything outside of WTBTS pubs. We didn't even own a book shelf or book case. Now, as a non-dub, most of our furniture is bookcases...let me count...10 floor to ceiling units. We have thousands of books, and we add to the collection weekly. HbH
I'd guess you're wondering if the R&F are well read - I can't say that I remember many who were
G'day Max,
I guess you've learnt Ozzie's ways!
Thanks for posting.
Cheers, Ozzie
Ozzie.... books while a dub.....okay let me think
Classics like Little Women, Black Beauty, Heidi. My mom's doing. She had the right idea and I do love her for it.
I know you wanted numbers but this is therapy for me.
Encyclopedia Americana. Not slamming the Americana but we are Canadians.
At age 12 I started reading Mary Stewart novels. Moonspinners(Walt Disney did a movie of this with Hayley Mills) was and still is my favourite. Many of these were pocket novels aka paper backs.Now I did have a time convincing my mom that they were not sleazy novels. After she read parts of them she gave the go ahead. In her day, she said paper backs usually were trashy things that were hidden behind magazines. Of course I guess we could define trashy but we won't go into that.
I am guessing because it was more than 2 decades ago. About 25 or so? Not many I know.
Now Ozzie you need to do a follow up. How many do we have now that we are out?
I know the point that you are making here but I want to brag about the collection I have now.
I will be waiting anxiously
Rosalyn
Dear Sister Rosalyn,
Your request has been passed to the Writing Department who have replied that it indeed would be "meat in due season".
They suggest you keep checking the board to see the 'new light'.
Your brothers in Freedom's service,
Ozzie and Posters Society
OZZIE Old habits die hard don't they?
I was being so obedient.
Sigh
Guess it's time for more therapy...but before I do that I have to go and count my books. Do we have to do book reports? I would like that actually. That could be my therapy ya think?
un sister Rosalyn
But! I did threw away some science-fantasy books when I became a witness, not al of them, but some that were clearly satanic ended up it the trash can.
ouch! the thought of all those books in the trash makes my hair stand on end!.
but i know why... we threw away anything that might have even the slightest tincture of satan attached to it. my niece had a copy of "the bell jar" that one of her worldly friends gave her. this friend had written a message to her inside the cover and had drawn a 5-pointed star in the note. she was known to tinker around with tarot cards, so her mom told her to thorw away the book. she didn't. so when my niece was gone, her mom took the book and threw it in the trash. as soon as her mom left, my niece retrieved the book from the trash and keeps it hidden under her mattress. oh boy...
and i would never throw away any book now, except jehovah's witness books!
So far weekend polls were for reading enjoyment but a library thread is irresistible.
In my time spent raised with "worldly" family; libraries, reading, the arts were considered church. I thank them for that. While in, I kept the non WT library down to about 200-300 and was quick to defend it against the rare criticism. The children had their own children's books library of 200-300 collected mostly from yard sales.
While in, the shelves carried reference, health, child rearing, natural history, biography, especially adventure biograpy, how-to manuals, some novels.
I'm still an armchair adventurer with library. I wish to see the day most books/archives are on cd and e-book loadable to further expand a portable library.
Edited by - wren on 21 July 2002 12:20:55
I'd rather read a book.
You know I never tire
Of the feel and the look
Of a loved and treasured book
It's all that I desire
If I had a dream
To which I could aspire
It's for a little nook
Where I can read a book
Alone by the fire by Harvery Andrews (English folk singer)
rosalyn
