Not-Forgotten Dreams

As a little guy, I dreamed of unearthing rotten, doubloon-filled pirate chests or ancient jungle ruins teeming with disremembered riches. I’d even make maps, complete with burnt edges, and urge others to find my buried treasure. No surprise that I've been searching for treasures ever since. As a university student, I discovered second-hand book stores – the kind of dimly lit, moldering shops you might expect to find in a Dickens novel – housing crooked stacks of potentially valuable books. I’d visit these stores somewhat religiously and pore through the dusty, shambolic shelves in search of great finds, such as a beautiful 19th century leather-bound copy of The Three Musketeers in French. It was then that I started collecting pre-1950 illustrated children’s Bible story books, a hobby I eventually gave up when moving these books proved too onerous. With marriage and a family, my treasure hunting at garage sales and thrift stores generally met a more practical need: making our dollars stretch. But even now, the thrill of the hunt and the expectancy of sweet deals keep me searching like that young boy who imagined unearthing long-forgotten riches. I look forward to sharing our tales of second-hand exploits together!