My Mom called this afternoon and mentioned that she was trying to get rid of some old World Book Encyclopedia updates. They aren't terribly useful, but she doesn't want them to end up in a landfill. She was hoping I knew of a school that might want stuff to cut up for projects or something. Between my hubby and I, we can find someone to take them, I think.
But she also mentioned some National Geographic books she had, and I told her right off to save any of the ones about Mysterious Maya, or Amazing Aztecs, or Incredible Inca. Those ones I want in my library.
I suffer from depression, and apparently have for most of my life. I denied it throughout college, when treatment was getting effective and acceptance was becoming more commonplace. Only recently have I begun to take "happy pills" as I call them, and only recently have I realized just how depressed I was, because I now know what it feels like to feel good, or even just ok, most of the time.
What does this have to do with National Geographic books? Well, as a kid suffering from moderate depression, I often hid in books. And from about the time I started to read in first grade, through about six grade, I was archeology mad. I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I was going to be an archeologist! I was going to explore ancient ruins and interpret how people lived in the past. I was going to read ancient writings and explore the minds of cultures gone from the earth.
When I got depressed and I was at home, I'd simply pull down one of those great books from my Mom's huge books of shelves and just bury myself in other times. I avoided the ones about "common" places... it was the Maya, the Aztecs, and the Inca that kept me from myself.
Sometime around seventh grade I learned the reality of archeology wasn't what I thought it was. I also slowly and painfully learned that I don't travel well, and I can't seem to learn other languages. Put all together, a future in archeology seemed really unlikely. At some point, that dream faded away, although my interest never has.
So, if my Mom is willing to part with them, I really want those books.
Hey, I still have a subscription to National Geographic, but to be honest, I wouldn't mind if they only sent me ones that have information about new discoveries in archeology. October's issue was of interest because of information about tombs on the Nile, but November didn't have nearly as much to draw me in...
The title of yesterday's triumphant success note about the Chicken List is also a reference to Iron Chef, in case you didn't realize it. Tonight on Iron Chef I'm delighted to see a very familiar face as a guest commentator. I knew that Seattle Mariner's closer Kazu Sasaki had appeared on Iron Chef, tonight I finally get to see that episode!
