Shameless Longing

Sing it Garth; sing it Billy Joel --
We'll all sing!

I'm on lead:

"I'm shameless! When it comes to loving you!
I'll go down upon my knees,
I'll do anything at all... "

Of course, I'm talking about my shamelessness when it comes to wanting more and more books. I went to bookcrossing.com and talked of my endless longing since I've moved to Korea and books written in English are in short supply in my area. (Everytime I pass a Korean bookstore, I think to myself: "Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink.")

So far, eight people have responded to my post by offering to send m-bags! (Packages of books). Gee, what's my new favorite letter of the alphabet? m! A bookcrosser from Arizona wrote today and said that an m-bag of 37 books are on the way as of Friday, January 29!

Thirty-seven!? 37!

That's many more than I expected. I must've sounded pathetic!

Homer Simpson voice in my head: "Books......mmmmmmmm!"

Of course, these books are for both Shanghai and me. I'm not a [snort] pig. I don't intend to keep them all, although I *love* the thought of my tiny little apartment being overrun with stacks of books everywhere!

Greedy inclinations aside, the thought of so many strangers being so good to me (but are fellow booklovers really strangers?) makes me want to be good as well -- to pay the generosity back (or forward).

For example, when I get my collection decently built up again, I want to participate in "Operation Paperback" for the U.S. soldiers. I don't like the war, but I've got no gripe with the soldiers themselves. They're just doing their duty. My heart goes out to them, (especially the bookwormy ones). Many of them are right around Manfred, Jr.'s age, and that strikes a chord deep within me.