Blog Plan:

For those of you that were around to read this blog last semester, “Welcome Back! Did you notice how I changed the topic?”

To those of you new to my blog this semester, “Welcome! How do you do? This blog used to be about interviews. (Check out the earlier posts if you are interested.) Now it’s about books.”

The idea behind Good Books: Good Lessons is a simple one.
I talk about a thing I read each week when I write my passion blog post. It could be a thick chapter or just a short book or story. The only requirement I have for myself will be that the reading will be both good enough to recommend and that there will be a lesson somewhere in it. Let’s get started!

Book #1: The Matthew Bible

For this first book, I was going to hit you with some lessons from a book I read over winter break, but something happened today that I simply needed to express in writing.

While I was in the library perusing around (As one often does in a Libary,) I came across a section labeled “Special Collections.” It sounded interesting so I moseyed on in and asked the resident librarian a few questions about the place. It turns out that the Pattee and Paterno Libary’s have received special and rare books over the years and they have been made available for students and staff to check out and read inside of the special libraries commons area.

After the Librarian explained how the simple check out process worked, I sat down at the computer terminal and requested the first thing that came to my mind: The oldest bible I could find in English. Within ten minutes I was seated in front of a book I could scarcely believe I was allowed to touch and that I hadn’t known about half an hour earlier.

The next hour of my time was spent leafing through The Matthew Bible, also known as the “Bugge Bible.” First printed in 1535 the version I was now touching was printed in 1549. I was holding in my hands a 469-year-old book.

A certain reverence fell over me, and not just because it was a bible. I was touching something that had outlived 6 previous generations. It was generations old and ideally would continue to exist for generations to come. By touching it I almost felt as if I was becoming apart of this interconnected story that the book was taking. In that time I held the book It became my duty to keep it safe so that future generations could enjoy it just the same as I had.

I suppose there should be a lesson in this as it is one of my requirements. My lesson is this: you never know what kind of opportunities may show themselves. Always be on the lookout for cool things even when you aren’t expecting any and then if you see one (like an opportunity to touch a 450+ old bible) then do it.

My lesson is this: you never know what kind of opportunities may show themselves.

Now for some fun facts:
1. It is called the bugge bible because in 1535 bugge meant ghost. In the book, the fifth verse of Psalm 91 reads: “Thou shall not need to be afraid for any bugges by night.” In modern versions, it is usually translated to “terror.”

2. In the special collections library, you need to wash your hands, but gloves are not necessary. In fact, they would rather you use your hands. It turns out that when people who aren’t used to gloves use them, they are more likely to rip pages. This is why they want you to be gloveless and have the finest motor skill possible.