Imagine the Possibilities!
Giving the gift of words.
by PhoenixfireMay 13, 2004
When I read the article in the local Community Press free paper about Bookcrossing it was like a dream come true for me. Immediately all kinds of wonderful scenarios popped into my mind. I could see a myriad of bookish possibilities opening up in so many
areas that I had to go the website right away and email all my friends about it.
You see, I love books. I think all people should read and find books that they love. With Bookcrossing everyone can be a part of that. It’s exciting!
Just think..you have a favourite author, one that hardly anyone knows about..you grab an extra copy of one of their books and release it into the wild. It’s a chance to promote the author and maybe even create a larger audience and demand for his/her books. This could lead to bestsellers for them..maybe even movies! I know, that’s going a little far, but I can dream, right?
Really, the possibilities are endless. I can see children finding books in parks that become precious to them. Maybe their parents can’t afford books and they’ve never had one of their own or they aren’t close enough to a library to visit often. One little story left in a park could really do a lot to brighten their day. It might even be the catalyst to them wanting to read on their own if they haven’t before…you never know.
Leaving books in places like hospitals could be a welcome gift as well. Someone sick or maybe a person spending time at a sick relative or friend’s side could find something to make them laugh or forget their circumstances for a while.
Living near a military base or airport also suggests great possibilities. A book picked up there could go anywhere in the world. It might make its way to another person from the same country who is homesick for familiar books or it could make it's way into the hands of someone from a foreign culture and introduce them to literature they might not otherwise have found to read.
It really doesn’t matter if someone registers the book and lets you know where it goes. That’s a real nice perk if it happens, but really, you just have to hope and trust that it gets found by someone who will appreciate it. It may be someone who doesn’t have internet access and can’t let you know where it winds up or it may be found and treasured by someone homeless who hasn’t had a book for themselves in a long time. Of course, it could be found and thrown away or could be blown into a gutter or rained on…but that’s the chance you take. Personally, I’d rather send off a book with hope than not send one out at all. It’s an adventure and all adventures have risks.
Words are powerful. Words can heal, teach, amuse, give guidance and encouragement. Think back to some of your first books and how much you loved them. Remember all of the times you escaped to another world in the pages of a novel or made people laugh by telling a funny story or joke you found in a book.
Go back into your memory vault and dig out quotations from authors that have really meant something to you. Perhaps a book inspired you to write something of your own or maybe it nudged you to put a paintbrush in your hand or to call a friend and get back in touch. It’s all about the power of words. You never know what one little book can accomplish once it’s free to roam. So, take some time to imagine the possibilities and give the gift of words!
You see, I love books. I think all people should read and find books that they love. With Bookcrossing everyone can be a part of that. It’s exciting!
Just think..you have a favourite author, one that hardly anyone knows about..you grab an extra copy of one of their books and release it into the wild. It’s a chance to promote the author and maybe even create a larger audience and demand for his/her books. This could lead to bestsellers for them..maybe even movies! I know, that’s going a little far, but I can dream, right?
Really, the possibilities are endless. I can see children finding books in parks that become precious to them. Maybe their parents can’t afford books and they’ve never had one of their own or they aren’t close enough to a library to visit often. One little story left in a park could really do a lot to brighten their day. It might even be the catalyst to them wanting to read on their own if they haven’t before…you never know.
Leaving books in places like hospitals could be a welcome gift as well. Someone sick or maybe a person spending time at a sick relative or friend’s side could find something to make them laugh or forget their circumstances for a while.
Living near a military base or airport also suggests great possibilities. A book picked up there could go anywhere in the world. It might make its way to another person from the same country who is homesick for familiar books or it could make it's way into the hands of someone from a foreign culture and introduce them to literature they might not otherwise have found to read.
It really doesn’t matter if someone registers the book and lets you know where it goes. That’s a real nice perk if it happens, but really, you just have to hope and trust that it gets found by someone who will appreciate it. It may be someone who doesn’t have internet access and can’t let you know where it winds up or it may be found and treasured by someone homeless who hasn’t had a book for themselves in a long time. Of course, it could be found and thrown away or could be blown into a gutter or rained on…but that’s the chance you take. Personally, I’d rather send off a book with hope than not send one out at all. It’s an adventure and all adventures have risks.
Words are powerful. Words can heal, teach, amuse, give guidance and encouragement. Think back to some of your first books and how much you loved them. Remember all of the times you escaped to another world in the pages of a novel or made people laugh by telling a funny story or joke you found in a book.
Go back into your memory vault and dig out quotations from authors that have really meant something to you. Perhaps a book inspired you to write something of your own or maybe it nudged you to put a paintbrush in your hand or to call a friend and get back in touch. It’s all about the power of words. You never know what one little book can accomplish once it’s free to roam. So, take some time to imagine the possibilities and give the gift of words!
