Cleaning for a Greater Good

It all started with a bookcase. A very messy bookcase. Throughout the years, this one particular bookcase in my family's study had served us faithfully. It held everything from novels, to textbooks, to yearbooks and everything in between. Unfortunately, in the last few years, it had begun to fulfill more of a 'landfill' role, so-to-speak. This poor bookcase became the place where each family member disposed of books they no longer read or had any use for. Our noble bookcase went from a sleek, oak piece of furniture to a Tetris-inspired challenge. It overflowed with books, each crammed into the last remaining spaces and crevices the bookcase had to offer.

So finally, on a day in which I felt particularly productive and had some time to spare, I decided to organize and clean out the poor old bookcase. I began with the first shelf: I took out each book, one by one, and proceeded to clean the dusty wood which had been buried for so long under all those pages. Then, as I was about to restack the books (or attempt to), I took a good, hard look at each of them. These were a series of Spanish novels that my siblings and I had bought as required-reading back in elementary school in Argentina. Was it really worth putting them back on the shelf, where they would undoubtedly stay for another 10 years until the next major clean-up? Would we ever read them again? A small part of me wanted to hug the books tight and never let them go. These books were memories, they were things I had learnt and places I'd been. A voice in the back of my mind whispered: Who knows? You might read them again someday…

But then my heart spoke up, and I decided that I would do more than clean; I would give back. I began to sort these books into piles. As I emptied each of the nine shelves (and yes, the clean-freak in me used this opportunity to clean them), I began mentally labelling my piles: books in Spanish for kids, books in Spanish for adults, books in English for kids, books in English for adults, etc. until my study turned into a veritable maze with several towering piles of books.

And as I went through each and every book, all I could think about was the things they had taught me and the fond memories they all held. I found ones I hadn't seen in many years and others I didn't even remember. I flipped through old atlases and marvelled at familiar illustrations, the memories rushing back with each turn of a page. In some way or another, each book had been part of my own personal story. And they all held the promise of change. As the piles around me grew, all I could think was: I hope this book helps at least one person.

So now our bookshelf is sparkling like new and truly a pleasure to look at. But not because you can finally see the rich, dark wood of the shelves or because its contents aren't threatening to spill out at any moment, but because every time I look at all the space it now holds, I think of all the knowledge that will be shared with others, all the new adventures that some lucky child will get to embark on, all the good that can come of just learning to let go.

So where are these books now? Well, truthfully, they have now gone from piles in my study to carefully sorted and labelled bags in my living room. But hey, it's a start. Besides, the important thing is where they're going…

The Spanish books I'll be donating to a very small town in Argentina called Atuel Norte. It's nestled in the middle of a very dry, rural province just short of the pre-Andes mountains. My family has a vineyard there, and the library at the local elementary school (with its 50 students or so) could definitely use some replenishing. As for the English books, I've sorted them into books to donate to my local library, the place that did so much for my siblings and I when we first immigrated to Canada and resources were scarce. With its seemingly endless array of books, it offered us long, pleasant afternoons in the midst of a turbulent time.

However, I also have a big bag of books in both English and French which I hope to donate to an organization that delivers books to developing countries. I still have to work out the details, but I’m set on sending as many books as I can to people whoneedthemmost and may otherwise never get them. And I have World Pulse to thank for that decision. It was this campaign, this movement, which sparked my initiative. What began as ‘spring cleaning’, transformed into a means of helping those in need and, more importantly, a way of advocating for education.

Because books are the foundation of education and, in my opinion, the ultimate key to tangible, long-term change. It is through books and reading that people of all ages sharpen their minds, develop their perspectives and ultimately shape the world around them. What may seem an irrelevant or outdated book to you, may be the novel that brings a touch of joy to an otherwise dreadful day; that textbook that you haven’t looked at in ages may inspire someone to discover their vocation in life. Somewhere, someone will find that long-discarded book and magic will happen. The possibilities are endless. The benefits are endless.

So, who thinks it’s time to do some cleaning?