The Bookcase

Today was a turning point for me. Eight and a half years ago, my family moved from Lexington, SC, to Powdersville, SC. One of the first pieces of furniture we brought up the stairs and into my room was my bookcase. We put it just inside the door, on the right, against the wall. And there it stayed, for eight and a half years.

For those of you who know me well, you know that many bookshelves joined this one over the years, as my books no longer fit on just one set of shelves. The thing that makes today different is, well, I moved the bookcase. It was the only piece of furniture in my room that had remained constant for eight and a half years. Through eighth grade, high school, figuring out which college to go to (and yes, I really did think about it for a few weeks... it wasn't as easy as I may let on to), coming home from Clemson each summer with new thoughts and new directions, celebrating holidays, and just having a nice and quiet retreat to crash when I was burnt out.

I usually move stuff around in my room every few months, as new things come and old things go, and I don't like things remaining constant. There was something unique about this bookcase, though. Over the years, I had slowly added "stuff" to the top of it. It started with an OC Supertones promotional sign and my trophies from swimming and baseball. Then it grew over the years. Every once in a while I'd find something interesting and put it up there. All of the pieces record a different time in my life. Different interests.

One is a burnt-out spotlight bulb from high school, when I coordinated the lights and sound for some school productions. There's a 2000 box from Disney World reminding me of my trip that year. Several frogs... yeah, those are kinda random. Old wooden race cars from my days as a boy scout. A souvenir coke bottle from when the olympic torch came through Clemson in 2002... alongside a picture of me holding another olympic torch in Columbia in '96. Some random smithsonian souvenirs from my trips to DC during high school and college.

All reminders of the past...

Today my bookcase is across the room, in a new place, and a very re-arranged room. But the top is empty (except for eight years of dust... i've been afraid to tackle that). I think today I'll start fresh. That other stuff can go on top of a different bookcase -- I think on this one I'll start over, as it was kinda full to start with.

Needless to say, this whole thing has made me look back over the years, and has made me realize a few things. I've done a lot of different stuff. I collect way too much of what most of the world calls "junk". I have more books than any 20-year-old needs (in fact, I'm 30,000 pages behind on reading all the books I own). The scariest part is that I know how many pages I'm behind. The best part is knowing that if I went back to when I first put that bookcase there eight and a half years ago, I wouldn't do a thing different, because it's been the best eight and a half years of my life. I've learned more, grown more, and seen more in these years than ever before. I live a great life, and remembering through the past helps remind me how blessed I am.

If there's one thing I'm reminded of, it's the one thing that's been inside of me since a very, very young age... live life. Be happy. Smile. Breathe. Laugh. Eat ice cream. Stick your tongue out. Lick ice cubes. Be a kid. Spend time with kids. Read. Dream. Imagine. See no limits. Listen. Paint. Draw. Take pictures. Travel. Learn something new. Experience a different culture.

Live life.

It's the greatest thing I've ever done, and looking back, the only thing that's remained constant in my life. This life is a gift to me. So I'll live it for all it's worth. I've been doing it for twenty years... why stop now?

-gcm

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