“I cannot live without
books.” –t. jefferson
Neither can I. Really. I tried to move from Pennsylvania to
Seattle taking only what could fit in my little Subaru (plus two passengers
& their luggage). I squeezed in one, maybe two boxes of books, but it wasn’t
enough. I haven’t even read them all, yet I’ve found myself frequenting used
bookstores, always scanning for the next title.
Within a few months, I had my parents send me more books
from my shelves back East. Books for Christmas. Books just because I needed
them. Yes, needed. I understand that
there are physical needs, and books certainly aren’t one of them, but mentally,
emotionally, psychologically, we all need to be transported into a world beyond
our own in order to both find haven away and learn to navigate a place full of
people who are writing, reading, and gaining influence from the written word.
So this is my latest blog- to bring snippets of literature
into interaction with the this-is-life-at-present by taking quotes from books, magazines,
articles that I’ve recently read and spending 500 words or less to write about
them.
Why a word limit? While to some people, 500 words seems like
a small novel, to me (and others of the talkative sort), 500 words can be
punched out in 15 minutes. Just like how the very short-winded folk use Twitter
(140 characters or less), I am challenging myself to be more selective in what
I share through easily digestible one-page, twice-a-week entries.
My reading list is on-going. I try to read at least two
magazines a month, one to two books a month (depending on length and time
available), as well as daily Bible reading, online “researching”, and pages of
poetry. Additionally, of course, comes the writing.
Maybe I’m in over my head, but reading + writing = a healthy
heart, in case you didn’t know (contrary to Cheerios’ slogan—come on, tasteless
grain circles or rich text? your choice).
Here we are: day one. Post one. I’ll be checking in twice a
week to ramble, wonder, and talk through some really great literature.
Join the conversation. Send some feedback. Tell a friend. Happy
reading.
Word count: 367
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