365 Project - Day 75

I love books. I used to enjoy spending hours in bookstores just roaming through the aisles reading book titles and leafing through the books on the shelves. I could waste an entire afternoon in a large bookstore years ago. One of my favorite bookstores was the BookStop in Houston, Texas. Such a fantastic store. So many books and no one concerned that I was there for 4 or 5 hours (as was typical for me). I always found something interesting to read or just browse, like the time I was strolling through the travel section and happened upon a random title about pygmies in Africa. I glanced at the picture on the back and realized I had seen the author of the book while visiting my parents when my father was with the Peace Corps. I inevitably left each bookstore visit with more books than I could possibly read, yet always happier and more fulfilled than when I entered the store.

I now have the bookshelf of my dreams. Well, really, I have dreamt of one of those massive bookshelves, stretching multiple stories high and requiring a rolling ladder to reach the top. Now that we have electronic books, however, that seems highly unlikely. I will settle for my cozier wall to wall, floor to ceiling shelves in our family room. I have tried to group the books and I have been thinking about a book photo for sometime, but struggled with pulling together the visual. I finally chose to gather a group of children's books and fan them. This is a bit of an eclectic collection of favorites, new and old.

Several years ago, I used to lead a youth group and at the end of the year, we would give the graduating seniors a book. Sometimes we would give a blank book designed to allow them to obtain "words of wisdom" and friendship from their friends and also to use as a journal and often we would give either the books Hope for the Flowers or The Little Prince. We also gave one I did not include in this stack, Oh the Places You Will Go. These books offer fantastic stories of life that are important to young adults on the cusp of living life on their own.

I know everyone is familiar with the popular phrase from The Little Prince, "what is essential is invisible to the eye." For me, it is important to understand this in context. This is a secret the fox shares with the little prince to explain why he will cry when the little prince leaves. It is a lesson that comes only after the once wild fox has insisted that the little prince tame him and when he does everything changes for the good. "One only understands the things that one tames." There are wonderful lessons like this in each one of these books.

My only regret in this photo is the flash was too strong. I'm not digging the shine on the lower volumes.

Today's photo: Growing Up Inspired

"During the change, it will seem to you or to anyone who might peek that nothing is happening - but the butterfly is already becoming. It just takes time!" From Hope for the Flowers




EXIF: Nikon D7100
ISO 320
50mm
f4
1/250 (on camera speedlite with diffuser)