Did I read that?

WHILE buying books at Booksale last week, the SM City CDO Uptown muzak was Ed Sheeran’s “Shivers.” Which happened to be the music for an event’s dance last Friday evening.

After the first, last, and only dance practice a few days before, there I was now at Booksale, with my minute brain dancing to the music, to see if I had already memorized the choreography.

By the way, just between you and me, it was only on Tuesday, four days after the event while Googling “Shivers,” that I learned it’s an Ed Sheeran song. I thought it’s Justin Bieber’s. Hush.

Overwhelmed by the piles of books at the Big Bad Wolf Books at SM CDO Downtown Premier, I was in dire need of a detox, thus, the browsing at Booksale. Which I’ve always considered as my home extension, where I could read a book from cover to cover if I want to, and then decide not to buy it without the cashier judging me. So unlike BBW’s strict policy on not removing the book’s plastic cover.

Besides, who had the time to read the whole book while at BBW? Four hours were not even enough to read the back-cover blurbs of all the books that piqued my curiosity.

Booksale’s second-hand books may sometimes have bookmarks that probably belong to the previous owner, but this time, I found a photo of seven young ladies. Must be relatives or friends or acquaintances, or even strangers to each other, but they do look close in the photo. “If a picture paints a thousand words,” as Bread’s song “If” goes.

Since I love books, it’s a given that I also love bookmarks which I hope won’t end up as another collection—whew!

BBW happened to be selling bookmarks, too. And fridge magnets. Plus stickers and posters. A collector’s mecca.

A collector needs lots of space. There are collectors who build another house to have enough space for their collection. Or even a museum for which they can then charge an entrance fee. Ka-ching!

That’s why it’s better not to start any collection. Be a minimalist. Follow Marie Kondo’s advice: keep only the things that spark joy.

So, what to do with the books I’ve hoarded at BBW? Read them first, then decide which to keep. That has always been my mantra since the pandemic lockdowns when I finally had the time for some spring cleaning. A detox that eventually led to my no-red-meat diet that began in January 2021, and the low-carb diet that began in February 2022, and the carnivore diet that I’ve been trying so hard to start since forever.

The funny meaning of diet is Did I Eat That? And for dirt, it could be Did I Read That? Haha! And then, act surprised.

A diet should be something you can live with forevermore. A book should be something that resonates with you, and this requires reading some pages of its main text before buying it.