Today I was thinking about give and take and from that, the things that people have borrowed from me. From money (obvious) to clothing, books and other media, furniture and all sorts. I don’t think there has ever been anything too obscure, but I remain optimistic! Also, I was thinking about the things that I have collected of other peoples over the years, always with good intention to return, but I still have, collecting dust somewhere.
When I was around fifteen I was a big fan of The Eagles and had a CD which I loved. Now clearly, me being a person of exceptional taste, my brother, Stephen, was also a fan. I remember lending him a CD and then never getting it back. This went on for years, with him claiming that he had returned it, and me swearing blind that he didn’t. It had entirely disappeared. This then became a pattern, I missed the CD and would occasionally ask, to which he would repeat that he did not have it. Then I happened to ask once when his girlfriend was in the room, this was maybe a few years after the initial disappearance. And her response was amazing ‘You mean the one in the car?’ He had thieved it and now the game was up, sibling moment of pure excellence! I got my CD back. A few months after I gave it back to him, for me the thing itself was of little consequence (other than its new mass funny status), but an unsolved mystery? Those are things that can be worth pursuing!
I have another friend who I continually barter with, we haggle, plead and negotiate. Neither of us are above emotional blackmail either when push comes to shove. Each one of us always believes it is our turn to pay for coffee, bits of shopping and an assortment of other delights. If there was a book keeping track of all monies spent, am hopeful it would even out, but it kind of feels like an irrelevance. Resources go back and forth, and I guess it’s important to acknowledge that.
I am really bad with other people’s books. This particularly applies to the books I have borrowed from the library. I have incurred monster fines from the community deluge of reading material, but sometimes, some books I really don’t want to return. Occasionally I will order them and buy my own copies. When I remember, and this is not often. Mostly I won’t even be aware of the return date when I am in a place of rapture with a new article of bound words. Other people’s books I am better with, although not great. If they remember to ask for it back, that is good, but I still have the niggling feeling that once a book enters my domain, it is rightfully mine.
It could be advisable not to lend me any books, but please ignore this! The photo accompanying this post is completely ironic. (It is a picture of the book ‘The Book Thief’
Map Point. What do I have that doesn’t belong to me?
Shiny journey 