Ray Bradbury on Collecting

This is an inspiring letter from Ray Bradbury about identity and collecting I found on the awesome site, Letters of Note. I wish I hadn’t eBayed all my old goth concert T-shirts! “Be your own self. Love what YOU love.”

Transcript

ray bradbury enterprises
[Redacted]
los angeles, california 90064

dear william stanhope:

most important decision i ever made came at age 9…i was collecting BUCK ROGERS comic strips, 1929, when my 5th grade classmates made fun of me. I tore up the strips. A week later, broke into tears. Why was I crying? I wondered. Who die? Me, was the answer. I have torn up the future. What to do about it? Start collecting BUCK ROGERS again. Fall in love with the Future! I did just that. And after that never listened to one damnfool idiot classmate who doubted me! What did I learn? To be myself and never let others, prejudiced, interfer with my life. Kids, do the same. Be your own self. Love what YOU love.

Best wishes,

(Signed, ‘RAY B.’)

Bradbury
10/28/91

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