This being my last message as president, I am making it a farewell address of sorts; only, instead of saying goodbye to you, I am saying farewell to bibliomania.
When a military man retires, someone with a deep voice in the background says, "Old soldiers never die, they just fade away."
When a mailman retires, someone with a sense of humor says, " Old postal workers never die, they just lose their zip."
I wonder what they say when a bibliomaniac retires?
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Being a booklover is fun; however, one can love books so much that it becomes a disease: John Carter, in his ABC FOR BOOK COLLECTORS, provides a vivid definition of BIBLIOMANIA.
BIBLIOMANIA: Literally, a madness for books. A “bibliomaniac” is a book collector with a slightly wild look in his eye.
For the past ten years, I have spent the majority of my free time on books, morning, noon, and night: Buying books. Selling books. Researching books. Building websites about books. I would perform over one hundred searches on ebay before breakfast, looking for books for my collections. What did I collect? Practically everything but Science Fiction, and I do mean everything. My user id on ebay was Moi_the_Bibliomaniac. If my wife had a user id, it would have been Book Widow.
This past year has been nothing but a succession of lifestyle changes. I am healthier than I was the first few months of the year. My coronary arteries, with their nine stents, are still clear of blockage. I am eating healthier. I go for medical fitness exercises three times per week. My cholesterol readings are down. I am ready for another lifestyle change: life after bibliomania.
Sometime in January, I will close the door to my library, hop on a plane and travel to Hawaii. I will be there for at least six months. I will leave my book collections behind. Books will still be in my life, but I will be reading them instead of collecting them.
What do they say in Hawaii about bibliomaniacs when they retire?
A-L-O-H-A 0-E, A-L-O-H-A O-E....
Which in Hawaiian means, “Farewell to thee.”
Jerry
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