I got another book.
It was a gift from a friend who was convinced that I’d love it. Honestly, it made me kind of sad because I tossed it on the stack of other books I need to read or finish reading. That pile is almost as tall as I am, which might not be much of an accomplishment for most things, but then you consider that this column of words, paragraphs, stories and information is really an assemblage of sheets of paper with cardboard slats between them, you realize there’s a lot of reading to be done.
For some reason, I try to read more than one book at a time lately and it’s killing my ability to get through any of them. For a while, I was reading Moby Dick, Atlas Shrugged, Justification and of course, the Bible, all at once. Melville is on my phone, so I could read that while sitting in traffic, Rand is always somewhere on my bed so I read her before falling asleep and Justification stayed at the table in the dining room to be read when I was at home for lunch or dinner. N. T. Wright and nachos just make sense to me.
Moby Dick was such an awful read that after forty-two chapters, I finally quit it. Seriously, the number of digressions and rabbit trails about narwhals, crows nests and giant mammal migration routes was enough to kill the story for me. It was like reading eighteen shorter, realistically-sized books on various subjects. I remain unimpressed but must say that I don’t normally quit books. I read them to their occasionally ridiculous ends because they leave me wondering and wanting more. Novels, essays and even non-fiction present me with stories that I have to finish.
I have a stack of books with characters living in limbo because I haven’t been faithful to them. I have other tales with different lovers, enemies and narrators on the side. Their neglect is bothering me because I’m seeing the same kind of behavior in reality. I’m cheating on the stories I started years ago. I’ve allowed myself to get distracted by other paths but haven’t really left the old ones and I’m allowing my adventures to go unfinished. I’m hoarding them like I do books. I think this is a relatively Western, maybe specifically American thing to do.
I’m trying to figure out which of my stories should go out with Moby Dick. I’m examining each path and exploit to see where it might take me then assessing whether or not I want to go that way in my late twenties. I’m asking Jesus which ones He thinks are best, too. The scary thing is friends and dreams dwell among these diversions and I don’t want to give any of those up. But I can’t just keep piling them on and expect them to hang out like my protagonists, villains and John Galt who all wait so patiently for me, can I?
You need to read The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck. Wait, you wanted to finish what you have. That’s not helping.
I stopped reading several books at once for the very reasons you give. Too little focus on any of them. I’m glad you put down Moby Dick. It would have been an accomplishment to finish it, but life’s too short to have to trudge through something you’re not enjoying.
I really want to read that. I LOVE Steinbeck.East of Eden was one of my favorites. Have you read it? It gets a little sketch in the middle, but still. SUCH A WONDERFUL BOOK! And the whale “novel” can…. bite me for all I care right now, I’ve never been so annoyed at a book in my whole life. You’re right- life is too short to waste my time on any books like that. Boo.
Steinbeck is a fantastic writer but I DO NOT like his stories. Of Mice and Men…Grapes of Wrath, THE PEARL for goodness sake! All well written but really I dont ever want to read about a woman nursing a grown man or a baby getting it’s brains blown out thanks.
East of Eden is on my kindle waiting to be read. I think all his books get a little sketchy, actually. But dang, that dude could write well.
He knows how to tell a story. It’s ridiculous. I’m jealous of his art and talent!
I’m kind of in the same process myself. I tend to get easily distracted with ideas or opportunities that aren’t faithful to the story God is trying to write in my life.
In order to stick more to that story, I’m coming up with what I’m calling a Dream Wall in my home office. I’m putting together a wall where I’m writing down all the dreams God has put in my heart and starting to come up with the steps needed to see those dreams come to pass. I’m hoping it will help focus me and keep those dreams at the forefront of my mind.
Oh – and my stack of unfinished books is probably over my head as well. I have to get on that!
Jason, I’m not sure that it’s being faithful or not to God’s story. I think sometimes, He really DOES let us make the decisions as far as what we want to do here and there. This gets off into calling and all that so I digress… but I love the idea of organizing what God says to you in a place where you’ll see it all the time. I think it’s genius. I’m working on a “scrum” board for home where I plan all that stuff out. It’s basically ridiculous, but oh well 🙂
Oh yea – I didn’t mean it to come off as if we don’t get a choice in what we will do. I just meant that it’s really easy for me to get distracted with things that aren’t beneficial to the path He has me on, if that makes sense. I’ve been smelling paint fumes the last two days at work (as they are painting my work area) so I’m not sure if anything is coming out clearly! lol
I have found the easier I make my planning process, the better!
I’m the same way.
I have 3 or 4 books going all at the same time.
And I also agree Moby Dick is an awful book.
Not worth the time.
Duane, I think you and I are ADD. Just sayin…
I appreciate you jake lee.
Glover, you know I’m totally referring to the book you gave me, right?
I hear your struggle, I too have books I’ve started and not finished yet. This writing thing takes some serious time! Especially when as slow a typer as I am. I enjoy writing, I guess that probably does’t surprise you… My priority is my Bible studies, I do one in depth one every week. Before I allow myself to write I have to finish my study. It’s a discipline I have to use otherwise the obsessive side takes over. In truth I enjoy reading sites like yours more than I do some of the famous authors that have me struggling to finish. I will finish the ones I’ve started, but after that I’m going to be more selective in what I commit to. Good thoughts, glad I’m not the only one!
Floyd, I get obsessive with the writing sometimes. I have to force myself to take breaks and focus on Jesus. The good news is that most of what I write about requires me to converse with Him and read His word but still…. the whole multi tasking thing doesn’t necessarily work in relationships.
I do that with books too. I get to a point where I want to read or concentrate on something else so I have several I read at one time. Letting go of some things is something I’ve been pondering and writing about lately–for me it’s in relation to blog reading/commenting, but same idea. Thanks Jake–interesting post!