I smiled tonight. It's not unusual that I smiled. Nothing out of the ordinary. But walking down Newbury at night, among the students, artists, tourists and the like, with newly purchased books tucked away in my bag, just hits me. I used to get the same feeling playing baseball. Or rather, I used to get the feeling during practice or right before the game began. Whether it was the smell of the cut grass, feeling the stitches on the ball or re-curving my hat, I would be giddy with anticipation, fear and shear joy. I don't play ball anymore, so my adrenaline has to come in other forms: literature. Do I go overboard in purchasing books? Of course. But it is what it is. Tonight, with my books hidden in my bag, I held a secret that no one else knew. In each book I am able to imagine my greatest dreams, see places I may never travel to and meet people I only wish I knew. Knowing this, feeling this, I smiled.



Books I lugged home tonight were all on sale: Umberto Eco's The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana, Marilynne Robinson's Gilead and Jose Saramago's Double. They may have to wait a bit, but I've got them at last!