Jun 14, 2007

handle with care...!

i wanted to re-read the alchemist this morning. when i remembered, i'd lent it to someone YEARS ago and that person happily forgot about it. this was when i still loaned books to people. after years of abuse, i've wisened up. i no longer lend books. i'm tired of lending books and then crying about how they come back used and abused or then, even worse - they never turn up!

there've been so many instances when people have returned my book with curry stains or doodlings or arbit phone numbers/mail id's scribbled on the last page. i READ the last page! and even if i didn't, no1 gave you the right to desecrate my book! i think it should be a legal crime to abuse a book! punishable in a court of law!

i very rarely borrow books from people. and i don't like it if someone asks me if they can borrow my book. *this is not applicable to close frenz!* it's like sum1 walking upto you and saying: "i'm really bored. can i borrow your baby today?" the answer wud *hopefully* be d same .. "umm.. well... NO!" they're equally, precious, u see!

let me clarify. "mistreating" my books mainly refers to :
a. folding pages. *invest in a bookmark and learn to use it!*
b. folding d book!!! *u wud be SO dead when i find out!*
c. touching pages/cover with dirty hands. *YES, i preserve d cover too!*
d. dropping food on my book *U will be dropped from grace. for good*
e. tearing ANY part of the cover or page. *WTF?! it's NOT urz!*
f. scribbling on it like it were a notepad. *NO excuse can be legit here*
g. creasing d spine. read at 45 *for odd pages* or 65 *for even pages* degree angles, if reqd. i care more for the spine of my book than ur neck!
h. lending MY book to someone else without my permission. *people do that*
i. LOSE the book. *u lose my fr'ship*

it's not that i'm d only one who cares for books. i DO have frenz who look after their books like i do. and to them, i can lend any of my babies with my eyes shut! but till u manage to enter that realm of comfort with me, it's a strict no-no!!

and of course, if u borrow anybody's book, pls take care of it and do return it to them once u're done reading. don't make ppl use GPS to track their books!

p.s.: i must mention my colleague, Kabir, who once borrowed a book. and returned it in excellent condition *the way it was* with a thank u note. good people DO exist!

6 comments:

plush said...

hmm..i get it...i hate it when it happens with my music...am the most selfish person on the planet when it comes to my tapes...heehee

rayshma said...

yeah! that's exactly d feeling! i wudn't call it selfish - just plain old possessive! :)

Sarfraaz Ahmed said...

I thank The Almighty to have bestowed upon me the chance to visit this blog. Its such a lovely feeling to start off the day reading your interesting and more often than not, thought provoking posts on this blog. Thanks :)

rayshma said...

thanks, sarfraaz! that's really kind of u!

MJS said...

Well, can I borrow your book!!! lol :D

rayshma said...

we shall have to check ur creds, mrids. let's discuss when we meet next..;)