Sorry, no can do. |
Today
we began the huge task of loading and arranging our newly built floor-to-ceiling
bookshelves. Who’d have thought this would be such a controversial task?
Christian wanted to help, but his idea was to place the books on the shelves
willy nilly and then rearrange everything later. No way, I said, if we’re doing
this we’re doing it right from the start. He got offended and left.
Later
he came back, this time with Adam in tow. We agreed to place the books in
sections—Interior Design, Sociology, Self-Help, Religious, Nature, Reference,
and so on. So far so good. Then the disagreements started again, because Adam
and I favored only placing the books we knew we loved and would read, but
Christian wanted to keep everything, just
in case. (Have I mentioned that Christian has hoarding tendencies, like his
Dad?) We have a lot of shelves, so Adam and I started giving in, what the heck,
but Adam drew the line at Raising Your Own Turkeys. “Why do we need this,
Christian, huh? In case a turkey farmer drops by?! No, we’re not keeping this!”
And he threw the book in the bin slated for Goodwill.
Things
moved along for a while, then all heck broke lose over where to put the bible.
Should it go on Adam’s “thinking man’s shelf,” the one centered by a wooden sculpture
of a sitting man deep in thought, legs crossed, or with the other religious
books? Christian insisted the bible should not have to keep company with A Clockwork Orange; Adam was just as
insistent that the only proper place for the good book was on that shelf, along
with all the other texts that any “thinking man” would choose if he knew he’d soon be
stranded on an island. I thought they might come to fisticuffs, each believed
in his own ideology so strongly. Finally, Christian grabbed the bible (from his personal collection) and said we could do whatever we wanted. I
promptly grabbed my bible, the King
James Version my mother bought for me many moons ago, and placed it in the
empty spot. I don’t actually read this bible, because I don’t like the KJV, so
its placement on the shelf was strictly for show. I asked Christian what he
thought about that, but he declined
to answer.
A
couple of hours later, we stood back and declared our efforts good. I’m proud
of my boys. It’s true that this family will argue about anything, but then
again, books should stir controversy, no?
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