Reading Lists

When I went off to college I wondered how my preparation for study compared with my classmates. Although I had read broadly as prescribed by school curricula, I had read beyond to satisfy my curiosity. That did not extend, however, to history or classic literature. Modern literature, yes. 

Then at campus I rubbed shoulders with people from the Midwest, a majority from the Chicago metro area. They came to campus with a huge appreciation for the literary classics. Our bull sessions at night demonstrated their passionate grasp of history as well. They recounted historical eras with the panache of telling a tale! Those tales were filled with personalities, well developed and understanding for how they reacted with the events of their day. Gad! I had never been taught history like this. I hadn’t realized how exciting this process of understanding the past was! It was dynamic.

It helped me understand history as we were experiencing it during that period. The Kennedy Presidency, the Nixon Era, the Civil Rights Battle of the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s; and of course, the dawning of the Viet Nam War Era. Building world views and historical scenarios, helped me see the world in a way that I could understand it moving forward. Interesting. 

Once graduated and the career started, I found myself with time during the weekends and evenings to read. I began to build a library of core literature: history, religions, philosophy, politics, art and English literature…the basic building blocks of a maturing mind. I read every day. I learned to read during commutes to and from work. I developed a practice of reading on a consistent basis from that point on that has lasted a lifetime.

Sometimes reading was put off while career development reading occurred. Sometimes a return to school prompted different reading regimes. But eventually I returned to reading on a concerted basis. It was diverse. It pulled the mind through many thought processes. It posed new riddles and puzzles for the mind to ponder. Not many answers, then; but later those came.

Now in retirement I still come across classic literature that I haven’t read. Bought an electronic reader; it came with 100 classics embedded in its memory. Then we learned to expand the reading list by ‘checking out material’ from the library. New books and old. Lots more reading. All electronically. (I still missed holding a book and turning its pages!)

I also re-discovered my own library. I began to re-read it. Slowly. Interspersed from new books bought or checked from the library. Re-reading old novels and classic literature. The old stories now familiar, but the points, the senses alarming anew and fresh! Well worth reading the second and third time. Hmmmmm. 

I have a renewed reading list. But then, writing for the newspaper – articles, white papers, news analysis, opinion columns and editorials – I have attracted a little attention and local readers have loaned me books they have found interesting. These are not books I would ordinarily have chosen to read: Decision Points by George W. Bush; The Soul of Leadership by Deepak Chopra; Bill Clinton’s newest book, Back to Work; The Help; Thomas Friedman’s The World is Flat. Each interesting. Each offering ideas. Each challenging in their own ways. And not always of my take on things. 

As I continue to write this blog I am forced to focus more tightly, challenged to be more logical, enticed into consistency. These provide literary benefits I use in writing this  blog. It may not seem so to you, but there is travel, development of thought, of logic and shifting conclusions going on. It is a dynamic journey that is happening. It empowers me to write each day. On broadly differing topics.

Topics. Different yet connected. Hot and cold in consecutive days. Topics fighting for attention. Soaring one week and crashing the next. But popping up again and again until we realize they have legs, they have value to be kept in our focus.

This is the unfolding of facts and ideas and challenging concepts. This is building muscle in the brain so we can communicate and understand each other.

The world is a complicated place. We must learn to live with that fully. But we must not let it intimidate us and make us go silent. The challenge to understand is age old. The enigma of gathering wisdom rarely comes intentionally. Only by chance intersections do we begin to understand better. Rarely fully. But better.

How’s your reading list? Is it challenging you to fresh thought?

January 31, 2012