Purpose

I’ve been thinking more about what I want to read these days. I’m the holder of a notion that I “should” be reading non-fiction… especially about current events, political stuff, and treatises on culture. Isn’t that the serious type of reading that all thinking people should be reading?  The problem is that I don’t really care about those things anymore. And I don’t care as much as I used to for other people’s ideas about what I should be doing. As a young man, I had more skin in the game about the future. With kids and what seemed like many, many years ahead, I had the future in my hands.  I had the deceptive idea that by being informed on these topics, I could have some impact on them… could make a difference.

I no longer have that belief. I don’t think I can make a difference anymore. I’ve become more of an observer… no longer a player. I’m just an average senior, and average seniors have no impact on politics or the culture, apart from voting.  I do vote.

Thus, after the results of my thought process became more clear, lets move on to what I want to read. Experience has shown that I really do enjoy well crafted fiction. And, I’d add to that, historical fiction. And throw in a sprinkling of science fiction, especially stories that explore science based discoveries that have big effects on the culture of the time.  I do also enjoy re-reading a few pieces that I’ve particularly enjoyed in the past, like some of the classics… Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Douglas Adams among them.

Besides increasing my enjoyment of the abundant reading time I have at my disposal, it reduces the tension and anxiety that can come from those non-fiction, cultural current events subjects. And I’m all over tension and anxiety reduction.

On the reverse side of my reading passion, I’ve always dabbled in writing. Thus this piece, and my other projects. For example the blog I maintained during our heavy travel years, “The RV Sabbatical Journal” contains over 1,000 posts. For a span of 7 or 8 years, that’s about a consistent 3 posts per week. The blog gave me purpose during those years.

And as I think about, and plan for, a future away from our heavy involvement with the community here at Timber Valley, it’s clear to me that I’ll need a purpose. Thus, my renewed interest in maintaining a writing project of some kind to fill the flip-side of my reading life.

Don’t we all need a purpose?