Friday, March 13, 2009

Pass It On

I'm just about to head to the post office to send Angela her copy of Sophomore Undercover. There are three reasons it's taken me so long to mail Angela her well-earned prize.



Reasons:

1. I hate going to the post office.
2. Due to a strong emotional bond with the novel, I'm having a hard time saying goodbye. Yes, I have another copy, but that one's still in the box. I'm not really sure I'll take it out of the box. After all, it is a first edition. It could become a collector's item, and as any thirty-three year old guy who owned his fair share of Star Wars and G.I. Joe action figures will tell you, I could be costing my future self some major moolah by unboxing it.

Aside: I still own many of those action figures and they look like they've actually fought in the battles portrayed on screens big and small. Bossk has only one arm (good luck bounty hunting with that handicap) and Clutch's joints have become so loose he can hardly stand. The good news? Snake Eyes, easily the coolest G.I. Joe, is still in good shape and so is Destro, although he's probably upset about Baroness's missing leg.

Embarrassing admission: When Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (and please, don't even get me started) came out, I sort of had my first mid-life crisis. I was a senior in college. I guess I was trying to atone for the sin of devaluing the old action figures, because I went to Target and bought $200 worth of the new ones (even this worthless hunk of plastic). I've kept them all in their boxes. They're in my basement. They haven't appreciated yet, but I'm willing to wait.

3. I had to decide what to write inside the book. Long-time readers of Murphblog and Ben Esch's blog may remember this discussion. In case you're one of those people who refuse to click on my links (I know you're out there and let me tell you, you're really missing some good stuff. Sometimes.) or you're just too lazy to read the comments in that post, here's a summary.

  • chris has the idea to make SU the most won prize on the Webosphere.
  • chris makes an analogy so obscure that Dennis Miller is confused.
  • I think it's awesome. The idea. Not the analogy. Although actually, the analogy was pretty good once it was explained.
  • I pledge to choose a winner who will pass the book on. I also say I'll write something in the book.
  • Ben tells everyone how fantastic I am.
So today, I finally sat down and wrote in the book. There's a picture up above and you can read the message by clicking on the image, but if you'd rather not, here's what it says:

The best things in life are free. (Well, except for Super Bowl tickets, but you know what I mean.) Let's keep it that way by spreading the joy you'll experience when reading this book.

The Rules:

1. Read the book. Feel the joy.
2. Sign and date over there. [arrow]
3. Give the book away. For free. Seriously. It'll make you feel good. Plus, no one person should possess an object of such obvious power for too long. I mean, did you see what happened to Gollum in The Lord of the Rings? Not a pretty sight.

Then I signed the book and dated it.

Here is my hope: I hope that the book brings happiness to so many people that one day, when the aliens attack, we will be able to go to our deaths (or possibly work camps on some distant planet) with smiles on our faces.


Someday, what's in this box is going to make me a very rich man.

13 comments:

Anita said...

My, you were away from your blog for so long!

I must've missed the reason for the giving-the-book-to-Angela thing, but if Angela is looking to give the book to someone else when she's done, I'm interested. But only if she writes something in it, too.

Kelly Polark said...

Pass that book around like the tramp that it is! :)

We have a HUGE collection of old and new Star Wars figures/spaceships. My hubby had his old collection then went on an ebay spending spree one year to get more...plus our padawans have tons of new stuff.

Paul Michael Murphy said...

Half-day today, Anita. Sure, I could have used the extra time to do laundry or rake the dead grass out of my lawn, but I'm a giver.

As for the revising, I do that at night. I like my routines.

Monica said...

what if, when you really really need a lot of money, you decide to break open that sealed box from Amazon, and it is only then that you realize they actually put a copy of the Gideon Bible in there.

Paul Michael Murphy said...

Monica--the thought has crossed my mind.

Anonymous said...

Somehow I don't think we should depend on Jar Jar to fund The Little One's college years...

Anonymous said...

Paul

I am giddy to know that my book is part of this give away. In fact, I think your idea for the give away is much cooler than the book itself, so I need to deal with that, but anyway...good show. You have bested me with your wit and invention.

Thanks for sending the book out! Let's hope that Angela enjoys it and continues the circle of life/book exchange.

Ben

www.benjaminesch.com

Unknown said...

Hate the post office, never go. Survived childhood pretending I was Snake Eyes. Okay, I also thought I was Karate Kid.

The Wife sneaking a comment in is funny.

PMM - if you didn't live 3,000 miles away, I'd invite you (and fam) for dinner.

Paul Michael Murphy said...

Tracy--this hypothetical dinner, what would we eat?

Jewel Allen said...

*will make me a rich man*

And when that happens, you should remember your friends.

Unknown said...

PMM - anything on the grill, we might even barbecue a copy of SU to inhale the words of Ben Esch (no offense, Ben). I'm all for burning books as long as it helps you become a better writer.

Speaking of, Ray Bradbury lives up the street from me. Well, a few miles actually.

Anonymous said...

Tracy - We love food. Especially grilled food. Consider this our hypothetical RSVP. We'd bring pasta salad. I make a mean pasta salad. And chocolate chip cookies. Ahhh, summer...

Unknown said...

The Wife -

If I ate less, I'd probably write more. Hemingway said in A Moveable Feast that hunger sharpens your perceptions. I believe it. I love food, especially pasta salad and cc cookies.

tew