eruditely whimsical

 Like most people I have a few books around the house. I don't have a real bookshelf anymore, you know, like a formal one. A bookshelf or bookcase is something I would have, given the space. I have always thought if I were to buy or build another house I would like to have a formal study, or den if you prefer. I don't want a man cave, I want a study like Ward Cleaver had. You had to ask permission to enter that room ! At least one wall of that study would be lined with books. I always suspected that those books were seldom read, maybe never read, but were there mostly for show. I read once where having books was a sign of wealth. I can see that. There was a time when books were expensive and rare.
 I would say the majority of the books I have right now are novels or works of non-fiction. The hard cover ones almost always have a dust jacket on them. As I looked at the few I do have on a shelf at my desk, technically a bookshelf, this thought came to me. How come the Bible never comes with a dust jacket ? Is that somehow symbolic ? I mean these other books on my shelf have dust covers, does the publisher expect them to sit that long that they need protection from dust ? The books I have don't have the expensive binding that some may have that is true, but their covers are attractive. If you had books that were bound in expensive leather and hand tooled wouldn't you want them to be shown off ? I mean just what damage is dust going to do to my book anyway ? I think the damage would be done my handling them, my dirty fingers soiling that leather. Of course if I were wealthy my hands certainly wouldn't be dirty ! Is that the real purpose of the dust cover, to protect the book from us ? If that is the case those flimsy paper covers just don't cut it. The majority of mine are ripped or faded and don't look too good. Well that's true on the books I do read often. others sit there, protected from dust in pristine condition, unread.
 I have noticed that collections of law books, ever notice the walls of them in a lawyers office or a judges chambers on television, do not have dust jackets on them. Reference libraries do not have dust jackets on them. I think it is safe to say mostly novels have those jackets. Does that mean they are not expected to be read ? That is my conclusion. As I said earlier I have never seen a Bible come with a dust jacket. That certainly means it is intended to be read, and read often. Just like those law books and other reference materials, that book should be consulted. It is a working manuscript. I have seen Bibles come with a zipper to keep it closed and protected. Makes sense if you intend to carry it with you. I'm not saying other books haven't been made with a zippered cover but, I haven't seen it.
 Does any of this make a difference ? No, it doesn't make any difference at all. Sometimes I write these blogs as a discussion. I'm just talking to myself. Even when we are talking with another, having a discussion, that doesn't mean it amounts to anything. It is a part of the art of conversation. To talk with one another, to interact without causing turmoil or hard feelings. Not everything we talk about is life changing or even relevant sometimes. I would call what I have written this morning " musing. " I hope you find it amusing ! That is the intent anyway. Yes you can be entertained by deep thought. Deep thought doesn't always have to be meaningful. Everything we say doesn't have to sound as though it comes from a erudite scholar. Sometimes deep thought just turns out to be whimsy.