Again

Something that I believe I have addressed in some fashion is the habit I have of patronizing the local lending library's selection of DVDs. It reminds me of an incident from some years ago in Florida. I had never before visiting the library in Gainesville seen a place with such a robust selection of VHS tapes. I remember a man chiding a woman for selecting several just because they were free. That happens with me as well.

I'm in a routine now of having out three at any given time, and while I do a pretty good job of watching as many as I can, many of them go wanting since I check them out with no regard for what time I will actually have to watch them. It's sort of like I'm maintaining a rolling library of three discs just in case the opportunity will arise to watch them on a free night or even during the day. As I said, I do manage to watch a good number of them, but not all.

I feel bad about the ones I don't get to. I take them home, leave them on the coffee table, and then bring them back in three days. I get gunshy about checking them out very soon, preferring to try ones I haven't checked out yet with the idea that maybe I didn't watch the others because I wasn't really that interested. Also it can be impractical to check them out very soon, as the staff takes some time checking them back in and restoring them to the shelf.

Often though, I am very eager to get the same ones back soon, as I did very much want to watch them. These I regard as unfinished business, and feel a responsibility to finally watch them. I feel a little embarrassed, though. As always, I care too much what some people think, but in the case of librarians, maybe that is justified. I hate for them to think that I am checking the same movies out over and over without watching them. They're smart, put-upon and have no small amount of downtime. You don't want to earn their ill will.