It’s been awhile since I’ve posted. I was on vacation last week and largely took a break from electronics. I actually let my phone die several times while I was gone and really didn’t care. That’s highly unusual for me. I kind of enjoyed it. To the loyal non-robot readers, my humblest apologies.
I love reading, I always have. I’ll read to distraction if you’ll let me. In fifth grade, my science teacher made a habit of coming up and slamming a ruler on my desk when I had my nose in a book rather than paying attention in class. I’m somewhat ‘reformed’ today. I don’t read books that often anymore and when I do, they’re nonfiction and too interesting that I won’t be bothered when I put them down. The one time I will read is on vacation. I figure I’m entitled to the down time.
I read two books over vacation. The first was The Zimzum of Love by Kristen and Rob Bell. This was a recommendation by Ms. Boss. It was the right book at the right time. My takeaway from the book? The space between you and your spouse is sacred and must be protected in order for ‘zimzum’ to occur. The second book was Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig. I will say it was a tough read, but it’s one of those books that you keep coming back to in your mind once you’ve finished with it. I’m still learning some of the lessons from the book, but the biggest takeaway is this – the attitude that you take when starting an endeavor will be reflected in the outcome once the project is completed.
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawethorne absolutely rocked my world. Up until that point – junior year in high school – I was so Pollyannaish it never crossed my mind that the minister could be a bad guy.
I’m going to be slightly vulnerable here, while I’ve stated that I like reading, I’ve not been the best at understanding what I read. Now it’s not because I’m stupid, I’m literally a Mensa-candidate (a score I’ve taken on a standardized test qualifies me for membership). It just seems that I don’t always comprehend. I hated – HATED – literature classes in high school and college because people would glean things from them that I just couldn’t see. I rarely read all the assigned material in college because it seemed pointless. I was a terminal ‘B’ student merely from the fact I showed up for every class. I didn’t become the lawyer I always was supposed to be growing up because I sucked at case review in undergrad. It certainly has been frustrating. I’m sure this means something to someone.