Over the course of the evening I visited with several people and overheard many conversations.
At one point, I heard a woman say, "It is a false, false, rumor." I've no idea what she was speaking about, but it made me wonder: Is there such a thing as a true rumor? Aren't rumors false by definition?
Throughout the course of the evening I greeted visitors and as I was speaking with someone while standing in the middle of my sitting room, a man stepped into the room and this is what he saw:
For whatever reason he only stepped through the doorway, looked briefly into the room and said to his wife (I presume), "This must be the library." I looked up and said, "Actually it's my suite," but he was already by then on his way down the hallway. I suppose my books didn't interest him.
I have said in the past that I intend one day to be my own library; it's simpler that way.
Other people, though, were very interested in my books and said several times as they browsed the shelves, "I have this book!" or "I want to read this."
All in all, it was an enjoyable event. I hope our guests felt welcome.
That looks like a wonderful library! I'm never shy about checking out people's bookshelves when I visit. I figure that if the shelves are in a public area, they're there for the browsing. And it's fine if people look at my bookshelves when they're here.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had a whole room with big windows and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves for my library. I might never leave it.
"Aren't rumors false by definition?"
ReplyDeleteNo. The Encarta World Dictionary defines a rumor as "a generally circulated story, report, or statement without facts to confirm its truth." A rumor by definition has not yet been proven true OR false. Once it is proven to be either, it ceases to be a rumor.
Elaine
Thanks, Barb! That's my dream library, too. With a dog :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Elaine. Perhaps it's just in everyday parlance that we speak of rumors in the manner of false tales.
ReplyDelete