I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who love reading a good book, I certainly do and when finished I pop it on the overflowing shelf near my bed to keep for another day.
One of the many benefits of having Aspergers is the ability to collect. I collect my books, each has a special memory attached to it, whether it be from the day I purchased it, to the time I read it, or even a memory attached to the person who may have given it to me.
My NT (non Aspergian) wife is not like this. She is a thrower. She reads then throws the book. Maybe she will keep a large coffee table book or a travel guide but once read books to her are like a newspaper.
It must be a shame to live this way I think, with no order amongst the chaos.
We argued last night over my bulging book collection..... books were made to be thrown out, novels mostly, but to her, my memory of buying a book with her in a Jindabyne book store and having a wonderful day, well that memory in my mind obviously means little to her.
I could have fought back, but my best lines in arguments often come hours later when I gather my thoughts and come up with amazing one liners that could have stopped her in her tracks. I mean what if I had got out the photo albums for instance and said, " oh you've looked at these?" ok I'll toss them out......with the books.
But have no fear book lovers, I will recover and more on to bigger and better books. I"ll simply hide them from now on.
I know in a future life, I will suffer for saying this, but has anyone else ever fantasised on holiday, that their family will have a short 24 hour virus that means the only healthy one (me) can spend the day poking around book stores?
Now if only I can find those missing books....
I too, am a book boarder :) I love my books. my husband cannot stand the collection I have. and I can relate. there were hundreds I had special memories of. but, over the years I have done my best to part with some when I bring new ones home. it is extremely difficult. but, I absolutely will never ever pass over someone letting go of a box of books! I especially love perusing musty old bookstores. it's a shame they're hard to find here in the states. good luck finding a hiding place!
ReplyDeletep.s. yes! ;)
My husband is has Asperger's. In theory, I don't, though I'm beginning to have doubts. Anyway, .... oh wait a minute. I'll photograph our bookshelves, upload them to my blog and post a link in a few minutes.
ReplyDeleteCome to think of it...this is great fodder for a blog entry that I've been mulling.
OK -- here we go. Here is the direction your post inspired me to take a post I've been trying to figure out how to approach --
ReplyDeleteHopefully this is a link
Your wife put me onto this blog. I have Aspergers as well, and I share your feeling about books. I also happened to find reading 900 page non-fiction books quite interesting at around ten years of age, though being fifteen now, I must say that I still can't bring myself to throw away ANY book or collectible. I near throttled my uncle when he sold my Simpsons doll collection (of over three hundred) for two dollars fifty without my permission.
ReplyDeleteI love books! I can relate.
ReplyDelete