Noble Things that Tower Above the Tide

 

As far as addictions go, there are many far worse than my lifelong obsession with books.  I remember being around 10 or so, getting my first library card and toting home a dozen books at a time from the Maspeth branch of the public library.  At that age especially, there are so many topic to explore. There was a series about two teenage brothers that were amateur detectives called “The Hardy Boys” that I just couldn’t put down. I believe there must have been 38 volumes of them and I ended up devouring every one of them. 

Every summer, our grammar school teachers required us to read 10 books from a suggested reading list during the break and turn in a report on each one in September. I actually loved this because these were all books that were new adventures. 

It was during this time that my mother decided on getting her master's degree in Library Science, and that further boosted up the book culture in the house.  I believe she actually ended up at the Maspeth branch as a librarian for a while before moving on to the main branch in Jamaica. 

As I grew older, wherever my passions were at the moment, I would go into this acquisition mode with books on that topic. 

During my chef years, I loved exploring every cookbook. My wife would buy a cookbook and we would spend the month cooking each recipe. It was a wonderful way to constantly expand your cooking repertoire across every cuisine. It has continued for 20 years. We are currently taking a deep dive into Korean cuisine with a book by a adorable Korean food writer called Maangchi.  It’s like a never-ending continuing ed course!!

Once I was shopping in a bookstore in Chicago with a mentor of mine and I pointed out a particularly beautiful book on Italian cuisine but didn’t buy it. A few months later, at Christmas, my mentor shows up with eight books on Italian cuisine and gives them to me saying, “I couldn’t remember the one you showed me in Chicago, so I bought all of them!!”.

As I got older, my collection grew as varied as my interests, Le Carre’s spy novels, sculpture, gardening, zen, Gurdjieff….    

Now as I spend so many hours driving on the road, audio books have been a great alternative to listening to the radio. 

Books have been this wonderful companion throughout my years.  Reading has been my refuge.  Constantly inspiring and guiding, it reminds me what is inscribed on the entrance to the Brooklyn Library -

“Here are enshrined the longing of great hearts and noble things that tower above the tide, the magic word that winged wonder starts, the garnered wisdom that never dies." (Roscoe C. Brown)

Robert S.

Apr 2023