Much book sorting over the last few days, which consists of putting my former objects of intention - to study - and affection too, into various floor piles. That is from the shelf onto the floor, but now with label of an intended destination. And that is not back on to the shelf except for one pile! I do reserve two to three shelves for ‘keepers’.

The other books are piled as follows. Those needing erasure of penciled margin notes and under linings, scholarly books, dealer destined books, books for friends or family. The destinations I have in mind, but need to check out are: Student book shops at SAIT and MRU; potential donation destinations as last home and the dealers. This leaves the bins for the ones that can’t be given a worthy home. The erasures are problematic as you lighten the printed text when erasing the pencil marks. Too much marking precludes cleaning and makes for a donation book.

I now need to phone the places of my intended destinations as well as one or two former dealers to garner additional info. I also want to determine hours of operation, the quantity they can take, when to come by and their policies. That is, I don’t want to travel back with most of the books rejected.

When I hold one in my hand I ask: ‘What are the chance that I will still read in this book, so long unopened?’ That question often answers itself with: ‘You won’t; let it go.’

It is interesting how I now have come to this point mentally that most of my books have to go. I will not need them any longer as my years of study are behind me and I am now concentrating on writing. For that purpose I have to keep some, but not many. It is as if I make room for my writing by letting go of my books.

When I hold one in my hand I ask: ‘What are the chance that I will still read in this book, so long unopened?’ That question often answers itself with: ‘You won’t; let it go.’ I guess I could look at these books as insurance. Bought to explore, but then often left alone after some initial reading. I guess with those initial readings in those books, I realised that they had nothing new to offer me, while other were read from cover to cover.

This is appropriate for me, being now eighty one years of age and ready to say my piece, whether you want to hear about or not.

So, here I am saying goodbye to books again, but this time is different. In 1998 and 2003 I knew I was still in that mode of wanting to absorb more information, whereas to day I feel I know what I want to know and now need to express the results. This is appropriate for me, being now eighty one years of age and ready to say my piece, whether you want to hear about or not.

This is a bit like that dandelion vigorous, but not always wanted! In my case it is more like a flower that has not blossomed before and now will need to find acceptance and a place to flourish, with that vigour of the dandelion no less!