Passion is such a joyous thing to behold. I don’t need it myself to enjoy it. Hearing (and reading about) people rant about their interests is invigorating. You never lose that wonder you had as a child, it’s just harder to draw out. Seeing that spark in others helps me find it in myself.
I’m not good at recognising emotions in others, but passion is something I always notice. It’s just so good to see others have something that is uniquely theirs. I struggle with it myself. I have several interests, things I can go on and on about, but I’ve never had that one thing that can satisfy me. Being decent at a lot of things is great and most of the time I enjoy it, but during my darker moments I envy those that can wholeheartedly dedicate themselves to something. The feeling of purpose they must have.
Regardless, tell me something about a topic I have never been interested in, something I actively disliked even, and I will gladly listen if you love it with a passion. The same applies, as you may have guessed, to books. From time to time, I find myself picking up a book I’ve never even heard about. I’ll look at the cover and skim the blurb, then dive right in. In this age of social media and an active reading scene, this doesn’t happen often anymore. You can easily find books you’re likely to enjoy, but it also dampens the feeling of discovery.
I love book recommendations, especially from friends. They make me feel known in a way nothing else does. Exchanging thoughts with them is something I miss when I read on my own. Their ideas can be as intriguing as the actual text. Sharing a story is one of the most intimate ways to know someone.
I also love discovering books on my own. To lose myself in second-hand book stores, thumbing through old books, annotated ones, books that look like no one’s ever touched them, as well as those that have clearly been well loved. It brings me so close to what books are about.
Mostly, when I thrift books, I get those I’ve never heard of, that look intriguing, but which I would never have picked up new. I’ve read poems from hundreds of years ago (most of them I didn’t understand), children’s books with rather abstract artwork, as well as people detailing their passions and why they’re great. I’ve gained appreciation for a variety of topics I only thought about in passing before. Rivers (a major player in human history), wayfinding (and how easy it is to get lost), the history of the Korean women’s ice hockey team (a story filled to the brim with passion), working in a crematory (more beauty products than anticipated), even the psychology of a video game I’d never played. As long as passion shines through, I can read anything.
When you find the time, I encourage you to just pick up a book like this and experience it for yourself. Give the author a chance to share their most treasured subjects. They will appreciate it, and you will gain something that could be life-altering. If nothing else, I find it makes you quite good at trivia games.
© Anna Kleinschmidt 2022-08-08