Every now and then I go through the bookshelf to clear some books and just see what's on there. It's easy to overlook books that have been there for 20 years, and even easier to forget just why I have kept them. Sometimes I re-read the books. Sometimes I don't have to. Sometimes they help me remember who I was when I first read them. Sometimes they contain the perfect message for today, just dusty.
One kooky little book that always survives the bookshelf clean-out is Parables from Other Planets: Folktales of the Universe by Hugh and Gayle Prather, published in 1991. It reminds me of how timeless some messages are and how examples and stories (even stories with lots of made-up words) can be the most compelling ways to make any point.
Here's a snippet from this book that I find especially appropriate: "What will the future hold for you? Only the love you give today...The only recognizable artifact on this abandoned world is [that] message, carved in huge furrows on the planet's desiccated and ruined surface."
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