On Small Victories and Elusive Books

Every once and a while something happens that just makes you smile… or giggle, laugh, chuckle, etc. (If you are unfamiliar with such things, please look here). Since I’m a nerd, one thing that will cause enjoyment is finding a good book. Now, finding a good book is an exercise if nothing else. And finding something on Amazon.com certainly does not count (although it is necessary, at times, to resort to such measures). “Finds” that would count must be something like a 1914 first edition collection of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s poetry for $10 – a personal favorite of my own collections. Another one of these finds was recently given to me… (Only the Lord is able to give such a precious gift).

In celebration of my roommates birthday (Zane, the Mormon), Jordan and I took him to a local used bookstore to kill some time before diner. We perused several aisles more than a few times, each time finding something new and interesting that we wouldn’t read immediately (e.g. Rudolf Butlman’s Primitive Christianity). After cataloging the entire store, Jordan and Zane had both found books they were going to buy (Tolkein’s translation of Sir Gaiwan and the Green Knight and an American and British Anthology of Poetry, respectively). I had finally learned to restrain the impulse to buy a random book and decided to escape the store unscathed.

As we were leaving the fiction section, having looked through Huxley, Dostoyevsky, Camus, etc., I noticed the section for Chesterton and BAM! There it was! Chesterton’s elusive tale, The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare (2^nd Edition, 1935, Dodd, Mead and Co., for those who care). I had been searching for this book for nearly two years. (Long story, short: I heard about a lady who was introduced to Chesterton through this book and was subsequently converted after reading Orthodoxy). The discovery was amazing, and I immediately purchased it ($3.71).

Now I understand that this will seem insignificant to some, perhaps many, of the 17 people who will ever read this post. However, it is small victories like this that allow for perseverance in these activities. Besides, I know I’m a nerd, so what does it matter if everyone continues to think the truth? All this to say one thing: keep looking for small victories. There’s nothing wrong with being entertained with the “small things” in life, whatever that may mean. In fact, if you never enjoy the small things, how will much larger victories be as enjoyable?Peace,

The Man Who Is Boo-Berry

 

P.S. Tony, over at Said at Southern, has posted that there is a free audio version of this book available at Christianaudio.com