Nope. I didn’t misspell the word in the title. I just decided that acknowledging the ‘daze’ of life is often easier than defining or describing what’s going on these ‘days.’ One of the ways I try to stay on track in the midst of so much uncertainty, political rhetoric, slant, spin, news (fake and otherwise) and what can be a frenetic and confusing time is … reading.

My library in my home office is pretty thinned out, now. I do keep certain treasured books by authors I collect or enjoy. But, even though I like the feel of holding a book in my hands and sitting by some lovely lake or stream, or even relaxing on my back deck and listening to our twenty-five or so spotted sheep call to one another, early in the morning, most of my library now is on my iPad. I’ve discovered that I can carry a wide variety of books around with me, and when I have a few moments waiting in a doctor’s office, or waiting for my wife who is shopping, I can escape the daze and spend time in books.

So, what do I read, (besides the Bible, which is my daily practice)?

Right now, sitting on the ‘bookshelf’ in my iPad, I’m working on the following:

“The Road Back to You” — by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile. It’s a book about Ennegram types.
“The Mind Hunter” — by John Douglas. A book about the FBI profiling unit.
“12 Rules for Life” — by Jordan B. Peterson
“The Haunts of Cruelty” — A novel by my friend, R. G. Ryan

Also reading … “How to Write a Sentence” by Stanley Fish; “365 Days with Self-Discipline” by Martin Meadows; “An American Childhood” by Annie Dillard; “Homo Deus —A Brief History of Tomorrow”; and, “All Over But the Shoutin” by Rick Bragg.

I have dozens of books on my iPad that I haven’t started. And some that I started and gave up on. No matter. I’m reading. If you’re not in the habit of picking up a book, or accessing a book in some electronic device, just a thought: Why? Don’t ‘like to read?’ Well, … you made it this far in a simple blog. Perhaps you just haven’t found the right book or the right author, yet. Don’t give up.

And if it’s a question of time, be reminded: we all have the same 24 hours. It may be more a matter of “expenditure” than time. How will you spend the moments you have? My thought is that it’s better to take even a few precious minutes every day to read the words of another traveler and be challenged or inspired or intrigued or even aggravated by what we read, than tolerate the constant bombardment of noise from outside sources, mimicking news or entertainment.

No guilt trip. But, how about it? How about you? What’s on your reading bookshelf? I’m interested in what you may be reading. And, if you read, do you read ‘real’ books? Or the electronic kind?

If you send me your list, I promise to check out what you’re reading. Who knows? What you’re reading may actually end up being what I’m reading. Now, there’s a concept: Congruity!