Bookmarks

I think I have a unique collection of bookmarks. I used to buy them, but then I found out I could collect them another way. In library books, in the books of a second hand bookshops, in books donated to our library there bound to be bookmarks left there by the last reader or the former owner of the book.

I appropriate them for myself. But not all. I only choose those I think are creative or unique. I don't filch those that have Bible quotes, I'll just as well read the Bible. And I don't take those bookmarks that have syrupy sweet and trite quotes on them.

The most cherished "find" so far are a brown leather one that used to have but since faded, a gold logo of Reader's Digest, the head of Pegasus. A thin cartoon one that says "Stacey's Professional Bookstore", I love it because it has the self-portrait of Da Vinci on it. Another one is a 1/4-sheet of bond paper with a love letter or maybe it is a love poem written on it, I don't know if it is original, but it is sweet.

I have discovered some things inserted in a book that may not have meant to be a bookmark but it gives you a window to the life of the former owner or reader of the book. So far there was that love letter, then a fancy restaurant's meal coupon, a Canadian train ticket, a brochure to a spa in New York and a discount coupon for a tomato sauce.

There is quite a number of collected bookmarks already, someday I'm going to gather all of them and count them. I like doing this not because it satisfies my criminal mind but because they are somewhat similar to books, they've touched another life. They may have been left there unintentionally but they're in all sense abandoned and I am rescuing them.

The next time I found another one, I'm going record their history, which book I found it from, when I found it, such things. I am also going to record my thoughts and speculations about their former owners.