I once met a person that scoffed at the proposition of using a library. 'Tsk, I buy books, I do not borrow them', she told me with a very highly arched eyebrow, as if I had just suggested she run around the neighborhood naked to see whether she could elicit a response either than the obvious. 'Tsk, I like to wear clothes thank you very much'.
Yeah, well, she was (and probably is, although I don't see her any more) that sort of upper crust person that would not lower herself to borrow because she can buy. I buy books all the time. Books are the only money-spent indulgence that never ever makes me feel like I should have curbed my enthusiasm and kept the Switch in the purse. I always justify myself with 'so what, I invest on my brain'. Stupid and self-righteous as this sounds, it is the truth. But even I, with my Switch-happy tendency insofar as printed matter is concerned, thought that perhaps it would be a good idea if I borrowed sometimes, instead of placing Amazon orders by the hundreds.
Today I went to the library in Wilmslow and came back home with lots of titles I would probably not have bought. One in particular is about wheat-free cooking. A friend of mine should not eat wheat and I must admit that this culinary restriction really stomps me. I cook with wheat. I do not even give it a second thought. It's like Starbucks or flossing my teeth or styling my hair. I cannot imagine life without these. Or wheat. Now I have a book about it though and I found that restrictions of any sorts force us to be a little bit more inventive. What would life be like if I could not eat, say, carbs? Or if I could not drink caffeine at all? Or if I were allergic to dairy? I am grateful none of these apply to me, but I am on a mini-mission to get a little more creative for my own sake and for my friend's too as well. For the next week, I am planning to go carbs-free. And you'll agree that for a vegetarian, it ain't going to be easy.
