BACK IN THE BOOKCROSSING GROOVE
I once was lost and now I’m found ...
by LynnWritesJanuary 28, 2008
I thought I had lost it. Didn’t know where, didn’t know why, just knew it was gone. I sat in front of my computer screen, clicked on the BC icon on my desktop and waited for my fingers to take action, and then, nothing. I pushed back my chair and poked
at the short stack of books waiting to be registered, nothing felt right. I stared at my ‘available’ books waiting to be released, my great-looking BC labels, my cute BallyCumber stickers and, nothing again. I lackadaisically made note of a few good release
sites but could not get motivated to follow-up. A vast, vacant nothingness had settled in and had wiped out all my BookCrossing zeal. How could this have happened? Where was the passion? Where was the fire? Where was that magnetism? Was the honeymoon truly
over? Was it… gulp… time for a divorce??
No. It just couldn’t be. I was committed, in for the long haul. Right? How could I have let things go this far? I felt bereft.
I decided to just get physical and tackle the mess of my bookshelves. Big sigh. What to do with all of these books? I realized I had several good titles languishing on my shelf from other BookCrossers -- trades, RABCKs, outright gifts -- books I still needed to journal and pass along. I looked at the names on the labels, some so familiar. So many new friends have come into my life via BookCrossing. I’ve also enjoyed the international nature of many of the contacts. A great deal of kindness flourishes out there in BookCrossing cyberspace. I pulled my chair back up to the screen.
I fiddled a bit with my profile page – updated stats, played with the bio, checked on the status of book rings – half-heartedly keeping an eye on the action on the sidebar. Who’s releasing what and where? What’s the latest and hottest forum topic these days? And then, suddenly, there it was. The post I couldn’t make myself. Another member was lamenting their own ED (energy dysfunction) with BookCrossing. I had to post a response immediately. Who loves company more than misery? Muscle memory kicked in and my fingers remembered what to do. Hand poised over mouse, one quick click on “Reply”, slap out a few words - it was all coming back.
A visit to Cliff’s wonderful wishlist site had to be next. Three or four PMs later, I had a few RABCKs lined up, ready to be packaged and mailed. This was feeling good. Next stop, a visit to the BC bookstore. WINGS. I was flying again. That hungry little BC bug had bitten me once again.
A few days and four wild releases later I realized, as I was walking out of a thrift shop with a short stack of books to register, that there is an ebb and flow to any long-term relationship. BookCrossing participation is no different. Just like any relationship, sometimes you just have to do the work if it’s important to you. And, as it turns out, it is.
Post Script: My first catch in forever from this recent batch of releases!
The icing on the cake -- http://bookcrossing.com/journal/2749371
No. It just couldn’t be. I was committed, in for the long haul. Right? How could I have let things go this far? I felt bereft.
I decided to just get physical and tackle the mess of my bookshelves. Big sigh. What to do with all of these books? I realized I had several good titles languishing on my shelf from other BookCrossers -- trades, RABCKs, outright gifts -- books I still needed to journal and pass along. I looked at the names on the labels, some so familiar. So many new friends have come into my life via BookCrossing. I’ve also enjoyed the international nature of many of the contacts. A great deal of kindness flourishes out there in BookCrossing cyberspace. I pulled my chair back up to the screen.
I fiddled a bit with my profile page – updated stats, played with the bio, checked on the status of book rings – half-heartedly keeping an eye on the action on the sidebar. Who’s releasing what and where? What’s the latest and hottest forum topic these days? And then, suddenly, there it was. The post I couldn’t make myself. Another member was lamenting their own ED (energy dysfunction) with BookCrossing. I had to post a response immediately. Who loves company more than misery? Muscle memory kicked in and my fingers remembered what to do. Hand poised over mouse, one quick click on “Reply”, slap out a few words - it was all coming back.
A visit to Cliff’s wonderful wishlist site had to be next. Three or four PMs later, I had a few RABCKs lined up, ready to be packaged and mailed. This was feeling good. Next stop, a visit to the BC bookstore. WINGS. I was flying again. That hungry little BC bug had bitten me once again.
A few days and four wild releases later I realized, as I was walking out of a thrift shop with a short stack of books to register, that there is an ebb and flow to any long-term relationship. BookCrossing participation is no different. Just like any relationship, sometimes you just have to do the work if it’s important to you. And, as it turns out, it is.
Post Script: My first catch in forever from this recent batch of releases!
The icing on the cake -- http://bookcrossing.com/journal/2749371
