The most generous thing ever.

I came across this one post somewhere, it was about how heart broken this person is when he/she sees a second hand copy of Harry Potter, she said it means somebody gave it away. It meant that somebody did not like it. Of course me being a HP fan understands fully how heartbroken one would feel. But then came this reply, it changed my world view for a few minutes. This person said that she had given away copies of all her favourite books so that somebody who could not afford them first hand would still be able to enjoy the magic these books create. I died a little on the inside. Such generosity. 

I felt really hollow on the inside. Seeing how I guard my books like a lion on the prowl who will kill anything that causes harm to my books, (okay may not be that fierce), but definitely the same intensity.Having said that,  I am often surprised at the generosity of readers, some of them  may not be as great as letting someone borrow a book, One(I)  has to be filled with wisdom or with death to part with one's (my) books. But I am talking general reader generosity. I have often seen how readers are willing to share their favorite books, they feel no restraint sharing their favourite character quirks, trying to build depth, understanding, debating these characters. I love how readers can turn almost any discussion about reading and from there on, there is no stopping them. I love how randomly people can smile at each other in bookstores,(probably the only place where it isn't creepy). They are open to a little bit of criticism, only a little however. We are too attached to our Harrys and Hermiones to think that they are weak or lame. We love our Earnests and Winstons, Our Jacobs, Edwards and Bellas (thats not me), our heros.  

When I talk of generosity, my story just ends there. Somebody who is willing to part with their books just so that somebody else can read. Wow! pretty spectacular. This person is not doling out books like charity. This person is simply trying to spread the love and boy! What a way to do it. It touched me in a way that I cannot explain. That is probably another beautiful thing about reader generosity, they touch your lives in ways they don't know or aren't aware of.