I just finished a slice of freshly baked banana bread. I'm happy to say that it was a particularly good slice, not suffering from dryness like some breads I have baked. I love banana bread because it uses up the over-riped bananas (which I will not eat in that state but I feel guilty to throw away because I didn't get to them when they were good); I also love it for its taste. It's a small pleasure in life.
I've been thinking about small pleasures lately. Last weekend I took some time to reread a series I like (because a new book had come out--Artemis Fowl, for the curious). I read a lot of children's fantasy books. Some people find this strange. After all, I'm a 41 year old Ph.D. with no children. However, I find that children's books (and young adult fiction, at least before the Twilight books made the YA section unreadable with goth clones) are more imaginative and interesting than many of the SciFi and Fantasy books aimed at adults. Artemis Fowl is a fun read, with an interesting take on heroes, villains, and the fairy world. Sure, it may rely a bit on fart humor occasionally, betraying its target audience, but I enjoy the books.
I hadn't been reading much for fun lately. I had quit reading for fun during the last stages of my Ph.D. because it was too distracting (I tend to get caught up in reading and be unable to stop until I finish the book, forgoing chores, tasks, and cooking dinner to read). Afterwards, I guess I was both too busy and too busy feeling guilty about not writing (how can I read a book if I don't have time to write my novel?).
It felt really good to get out a book and spend an afternoon reading something just for enjoyment. I think we all need to indulge from time to time, in moderation at least, in our favorite pastimes, whether that is reading, biking, chocolate, or whatever.
I am going to treasure my time to read, to eat the occasional banana bread slice or dark chocolate piece, and to NOT work, organize, worry, and fret. These small pleasures are the needed treasures to make life worth living.
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Friday, September 24, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Obsessions and Cataloging
One side project which has come out of my current organizing project was an unexpected one.
My husband and I are big readers and book collectors. We have many bookcases--many of them doubleshelved (with books behind the row of books you can see). We also have books in boxes in the garage and closet because we've run out of room.
My husband decided that cataloging our books would be useful. He is using LibraryThing and is adding our books to this online database system. So far he has about 1,500 books listed but is probably only 33% of the way through our books. He's been doing this for about 4 days now.
It's made me think about obsessions. We have an obsession for buying books. We'd talked about cutting back and avoiding going to the bookstore because I have three shelves of books in my "to read" section. I don't need new books if I have that many to read. Yet a couple of days ago my husband says, "Let's go to the bookstore" and even though we had just talked about how we wouldn't do that, we did it anyways. We bought 5 books while we were there.
My husband is getting pretty obsessive with the cataloging also. He's spending all day at it, pretty much stopping only for email and meals.
I think that collectors and people who are addicted to various substances are probably closely connected. There is probably something in the brain related to addiction which is also present in the brains of collectors. It is like an addiction, an obsession. It can also ruin some people's lives. Collecting and hoarding aren't that far apart, when you get right down to it. It's just that hoarding is often stuff which has little monetary value, isn't maintained or cleaned and is getting in the way of normal life. A collector will generally try to maintain the item and keep things clean, and a collection often will be seen to have value (although not everyone will agree on that part, as there are some weird collections out there), and it hopefully doesn't get in the way of life.
On the other hand, collecting, like we collect, does get in the way of life. We have a very different life because of our collections. We have less cash and less space. We also have less time because our collections take time and work. Books are just one of our collections, also, so we truly have an addictive personality. Our house is overrun with stuff. It's amazing to think of sometimes. People often sing the Addams Family theme song when they visit ("their house is a museum, when people come to see them...").
I don't want to go the opposite direction. I never understand the people who brag about minimalism and not owning things. I find many of the pictures of minimalist modern homes to be cold and impersonal. I may read Unclutterer but that doesn't mean that I'm interested in getting rid of our collections. People who talk about getting rid of books and only using the library do not understand our lives. Many of our books could not be found in our local library. Some of these editions are beautiful and scarce. They are a joy to look at, not just a reading copy paperback of the text.
When I look around, I see a crowded house, it is true. But I also see a house where everything has a story to tell. The items have history and meaning.
It's true that some parts of collecting worry me; addictions are not a good thing. Collecting is a borderline addiction so we have to be careful and not cross that line. However, we are also defined by our collections, and for the most part, I like it that way.
My husband and I are big readers and book collectors. We have many bookcases--many of them doubleshelved (with books behind the row of books you can see). We also have books in boxes in the garage and closet because we've run out of room.
My husband decided that cataloging our books would be useful. He is using LibraryThing and is adding our books to this online database system. So far he has about 1,500 books listed but is probably only 33% of the way through our books. He's been doing this for about 4 days now.
It's made me think about obsessions. We have an obsession for buying books. We'd talked about cutting back and avoiding going to the bookstore because I have three shelves of books in my "to read" section. I don't need new books if I have that many to read. Yet a couple of days ago my husband says, "Let's go to the bookstore" and even though we had just talked about how we wouldn't do that, we did it anyways. We bought 5 books while we were there.
My husband is getting pretty obsessive with the cataloging also. He's spending all day at it, pretty much stopping only for email and meals.
I think that collectors and people who are addicted to various substances are probably closely connected. There is probably something in the brain related to addiction which is also present in the brains of collectors. It is like an addiction, an obsession. It can also ruin some people's lives. Collecting and hoarding aren't that far apart, when you get right down to it. It's just that hoarding is often stuff which has little monetary value, isn't maintained or cleaned and is getting in the way of normal life. A collector will generally try to maintain the item and keep things clean, and a collection often will be seen to have value (although not everyone will agree on that part, as there are some weird collections out there), and it hopefully doesn't get in the way of life.
On the other hand, collecting, like we collect, does get in the way of life. We have a very different life because of our collections. We have less cash and less space. We also have less time because our collections take time and work. Books are just one of our collections, also, so we truly have an addictive personality. Our house is overrun with stuff. It's amazing to think of sometimes. People often sing the Addams Family theme song when they visit ("their house is a museum, when people come to see them...").
I don't want to go the opposite direction. I never understand the people who brag about minimalism and not owning things. I find many of the pictures of minimalist modern homes to be cold and impersonal. I may read Unclutterer but that doesn't mean that I'm interested in getting rid of our collections. People who talk about getting rid of books and only using the library do not understand our lives. Many of our books could not be found in our local library. Some of these editions are beautiful and scarce. They are a joy to look at, not just a reading copy paperback of the text.
When I look around, I see a crowded house, it is true. But I also see a house where everything has a story to tell. The items have history and meaning.
It's true that some parts of collecting worry me; addictions are not a good thing. Collecting is a borderline addiction so we have to be careful and not cross that line. However, we are also defined by our collections, and for the most part, I like it that way.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Social Media and Attention
Twitter. Facebook. MySpace. Blogs. Forums. Social Media is everywhere. If you are on the internet, you probably participate in at least one of these forms of social media, whether you are reading a blog (like this one) or post your information on Facebook or MySpace.
Several questions arise from this new medium of communication. One, should we post so much about ourselves in such places? Two, are we becoming a generation of self-obsessed writers? and, Three, what do we do about information overload with so much media to consume?
The first question is the one which is taking up the column inches in the traditional media. Because of Facebook's changing privacy options, people are suddenly up in arms about the lack of privacy and control over our information. Apparently some people have been posting private details of their lives on the internet without realizing that other people might see it.
This always amuses me. I have several websites and recently joined Facebook and Twitter. I did this partly to use social media to promote the organizations I belong to. It was easier to set up group pages in Facebook if I knew how to do it with a personal page. Now I'm addicted to reading the updates of my friends. I also set up a Twitter feed for an event I am working on and, although I have few followers, I do participate in conversations on Twitter from time to time (93 tweets in almost 3 weeks).
I also run this blog, anonymously, because I know that anything I put on the internet can be seen by others--that's the whole point of it. While I know that my identity could be discovered, fairly easily, I figured that by posting here anonymously I would at least stop the easy connection to my name by Google and other basic searches. That way I could discuss fears and anxieties without immediate problems in my job search.
The default for posting on the web should be--this will be seen by others and will, for a long time, be associated with my name. It may be used by spammers and marketers. It is certainly not private. That takes care of the first concern people have about social media. If you don't expect privacy from things you post on the internet (and therefore you pick and you chose what you put up there), then there isn't an issue.
The second question is a bit more complex. There are a lot of jokes on the internet (and serious discussions as well) about how people are detailing the inane everyday actions of their lives as if others should care. People use Twitter to post that they're going out to eat or post their dinner menu as their Facebook status. Everyone and their uncle, it seems, starts blogs thinking that they can earn money through posting about their day.
It is possible that one aspect of social media has been to give everyone a voice--and that the expectation that we have to be heard (and should expect to be heard) has led to unsupportable social behavior--a generation who believes that every thought should have an audience (and deserves one).
When printing was hard, you had to work to get your thoughts a larger audience. Only a few could expect an audience and not every thought was deemed worthy of print. Now that there is no barrier to getting your thought to an audience, the overall quality of the thoughts being printed is much lower (because there are substantially more thoughts going out to the public). There is plenty of good material going out but it is accompanied by a huge slew of lesser quality.
However, I do believe that the good thoughts, worthy of an audience, are still out there and more and more people are discovering their ability to communicate (having been given the chance, something not possible even 50 years ago). This is a good thing, even if it is harder to find the good writing in the avalanche of people expressing themselves.
Naturally, this avalanche of people posting information on the web leads to the third issue of social media--the overload when consuming media. I can hardly believe how much time I spend each day on the computer. My laptop is opened when I wake and is closed when I go to sleep. Most of the day it is my constant companion. I check my email constantly, then check my RSS feeds, look at Facebook and check Twitterfall for my search terms.
I am addicted and almost feel twitchy when away from it for too long. I never meant to get so involved with all of it. I only started reading blogs about 4 or 5 years ago. I joined Facebook and Twitter this year. I've had my own websites for much, much longer but it wasn't a constant thing to maintain every day.
There is so much out there. I could web surf all day and still feel like there was more to consume. The information overload coming to us is tremendous and nonstop. I don't have an answer for this. Perhaps each person has to create artificial limits to keep it under control. I just know that I have subscribed to three more blogs recently and it feels like the information avalanche is simply too much at times.
Social Media pulls at our attention all of the time, and also flatters us with the idea that other people are paying attention to us. Either way, it is addicting. While the ability to get published, easily, is a wonderful benefit, it also means that we get drowned in triviality and mundane observations and, simply, too much information (even if much of it is wonderful).
It's a curse...and a blessing. How much of either it is depends on how we manage it.
Several questions arise from this new medium of communication. One, should we post so much about ourselves in such places? Two, are we becoming a generation of self-obsessed writers? and, Three, what do we do about information overload with so much media to consume?
The first question is the one which is taking up the column inches in the traditional media. Because of Facebook's changing privacy options, people are suddenly up in arms about the lack of privacy and control over our information. Apparently some people have been posting private details of their lives on the internet without realizing that other people might see it.
This always amuses me. I have several websites and recently joined Facebook and Twitter. I did this partly to use social media to promote the organizations I belong to. It was easier to set up group pages in Facebook if I knew how to do it with a personal page. Now I'm addicted to reading the updates of my friends. I also set up a Twitter feed for an event I am working on and, although I have few followers, I do participate in conversations on Twitter from time to time (93 tweets in almost 3 weeks).
I also run this blog, anonymously, because I know that anything I put on the internet can be seen by others--that's the whole point of it. While I know that my identity could be discovered, fairly easily, I figured that by posting here anonymously I would at least stop the easy connection to my name by Google and other basic searches. That way I could discuss fears and anxieties without immediate problems in my job search.
The default for posting on the web should be--this will be seen by others and will, for a long time, be associated with my name. It may be used by spammers and marketers. It is certainly not private. That takes care of the first concern people have about social media. If you don't expect privacy from things you post on the internet (and therefore you pick and you chose what you put up there), then there isn't an issue.
The second question is a bit more complex. There are a lot of jokes on the internet (and serious discussions as well) about how people are detailing the inane everyday actions of their lives as if others should care. People use Twitter to post that they're going out to eat or post their dinner menu as their Facebook status. Everyone and their uncle, it seems, starts blogs thinking that they can earn money through posting about their day.
It is possible that one aspect of social media has been to give everyone a voice--and that the expectation that we have to be heard (and should expect to be heard) has led to unsupportable social behavior--a generation who believes that every thought should have an audience (and deserves one).
When printing was hard, you had to work to get your thoughts a larger audience. Only a few could expect an audience and not every thought was deemed worthy of print. Now that there is no barrier to getting your thought to an audience, the overall quality of the thoughts being printed is much lower (because there are substantially more thoughts going out to the public). There is plenty of good material going out but it is accompanied by a huge slew of lesser quality.
However, I do believe that the good thoughts, worthy of an audience, are still out there and more and more people are discovering their ability to communicate (having been given the chance, something not possible even 50 years ago). This is a good thing, even if it is harder to find the good writing in the avalanche of people expressing themselves.
Naturally, this avalanche of people posting information on the web leads to the third issue of social media--the overload when consuming media. I can hardly believe how much time I spend each day on the computer. My laptop is opened when I wake and is closed when I go to sleep. Most of the day it is my constant companion. I check my email constantly, then check my RSS feeds, look at Facebook and check Twitterfall for my search terms.
I am addicted and almost feel twitchy when away from it for too long. I never meant to get so involved with all of it. I only started reading blogs about 4 or 5 years ago. I joined Facebook and Twitter this year. I've had my own websites for much, much longer but it wasn't a constant thing to maintain every day.
There is so much out there. I could web surf all day and still feel like there was more to consume. The information overload coming to us is tremendous and nonstop. I don't have an answer for this. Perhaps each person has to create artificial limits to keep it under control. I just know that I have subscribed to three more blogs recently and it feels like the information avalanche is simply too much at times.
Social Media pulls at our attention all of the time, and also flatters us with the idea that other people are paying attention to us. Either way, it is addicting. While the ability to get published, easily, is a wonderful benefit, it also means that we get drowned in triviality and mundane observations and, simply, too much information (even if much of it is wonderful).
It's a curse...and a blessing. How much of either it is depends on how we manage it.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Golden Shelf: Familiarity Breeds Fondness
Yesterday in the car we kept flipping the radio between three stations. Why? Because there is no radio station that plays only 80s music in our city (and we can't afford special satellite radios). Instead we have three stations which often play some 80s music and we just change the channel often.
As you might imagine this can be frustrating because you end up with times when none of the stations have a song we like or more than one are in commercials.
We were sitting at a light listening to Rio by Duran Duran (yes, I was a big fan of Duran Duran in the 80s) and I started thinking about when I was a child and my mom insisted that I must like the Beatles. She is, of course, a huge fan of the Beatles. They were big when she was a teenager. I, however, as a teen thought that they were only so-so and she was upset, making me spend a whole afternoon while she played song after song to prove to me the superiority of her music. I can remember arguing with her about how weird the lyrics are and how they don't make sense.
Today I was listening to Duran Duran's Rio and realized, the lyrics to songs I love don't make a whole lot of sense either.
Really? What is that anyways? It sure sounds cool to me when I hear the song, but I honestly am not sure what sort of picture that paints in my head. Apparently a really pretty girl dances and there is a car chase and the guy feels really lucky? I'm not sure.
I heard at a book signing once, Eoin Colfer said that there is a golden shelf that we each have where we place the music, books, movies, etc. of our childhood/teenage years and these will have a special place in our hearts.
I guess it is nostalgia or a golden glow of memory, but I still love 80s music.
Some people are concerned that our ability to select what we see or hear all of the time, to have only music we like (on an ipod or special radio station) or ideas we like (by finding specialized forums or news for like-minded people), etc. creates a sort of echo chamber whereby people are not exposed to new ideas and don't hear opposing ideas. I worry about this myself sometimes. I certainly know that I am affected by the blogs and forums which I frequent. They affect the pop culture references I am familiar with, the sort of language I use, the way I think about things.
When I was younger, you had no choice but to hear new things. There was less opportunity to filter what we were exposed to. Now I can program 36 hours of music to carry in a thing the size of a stamp (when I haven't misplaced it--which I keep doing).
I'm not sure why my husband and I prefer to listen to music which we already know and like rather than experience new songs. I just know that my mind clicks into positive feelings when an 80s song I know and like comes on. My Golden Shelf, full of 80s music, great children's books, and the movie The Princess Bride, is something to which I return again and again.
While I do think we need to be aware of the negative effects which filtering can have on us and the narrowing of our experiences which may come from it, I will continue to spend time with my Golden Shelf and enjoy these things which are familiar to me, because I am fond of them.
As you might imagine this can be frustrating because you end up with times when none of the stations have a song we like or more than one are in commercials.
We were sitting at a light listening to Rio by Duran Duran (yes, I was a big fan of Duran Duran in the 80s) and I started thinking about when I was a child and my mom insisted that I must like the Beatles. She is, of course, a huge fan of the Beatles. They were big when she was a teenager. I, however, as a teen thought that they were only so-so and she was upset, making me spend a whole afternoon while she played song after song to prove to me the superiority of her music. I can remember arguing with her about how weird the lyrics are and how they don't make sense.
Today I was listening to Duran Duran's Rio and realized, the lyrics to songs I love don't make a whole lot of sense either.
I've seen you on the beach and I've seen you on TV
Two of a billion stars it means so much to me
Like a birthday or a pretty view
But then I'm sure that you know it's just for you
Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand
Just like that river twisting through a dusty land
And when she shines she really shows you all she can
Oh Rio, Rio dance across the Rio Grande
Hey now woo look at that did she nearly run you down
At the end of the drive the lawmen arrive
You make me feel alive, alive alive
I'll take my chance cause luck is on my side or something
I know what you're thinking I tell you something I know what you're thinking
Really? What is that anyways? It sure sounds cool to me when I hear the song, but I honestly am not sure what sort of picture that paints in my head. Apparently a really pretty girl dances and there is a car chase and the guy feels really lucky? I'm not sure.
I heard at a book signing once, Eoin Colfer said that there is a golden shelf that we each have where we place the music, books, movies, etc. of our childhood/teenage years and these will have a special place in our hearts.
I guess it is nostalgia or a golden glow of memory, but I still love 80s music.
Some people are concerned that our ability to select what we see or hear all of the time, to have only music we like (on an ipod or special radio station) or ideas we like (by finding specialized forums or news for like-minded people), etc. creates a sort of echo chamber whereby people are not exposed to new ideas and don't hear opposing ideas. I worry about this myself sometimes. I certainly know that I am affected by the blogs and forums which I frequent. They affect the pop culture references I am familiar with, the sort of language I use, the way I think about things.
When I was younger, you had no choice but to hear new things. There was less opportunity to filter what we were exposed to. Now I can program 36 hours of music to carry in a thing the size of a stamp (when I haven't misplaced it--which I keep doing).
I'm not sure why my husband and I prefer to listen to music which we already know and like rather than experience new songs. I just know that my mind clicks into positive feelings when an 80s song I know and like comes on. My Golden Shelf, full of 80s music, great children's books, and the movie The Princess Bride, is something to which I return again and again.
While I do think we need to be aware of the negative effects which filtering can have on us and the narrowing of our experiences which may come from it, I will continue to spend time with my Golden Shelf and enjoy these things which are familiar to me, because I am fond of them.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Power of Language
I went to a lecture earlier this week that focused on the power of language and how to "do" Shakespeare in a way which is the most empowering to the words and, therefore, the acting of the words.
I was struck by something that has always been a big part of my life--the power of words. I used to talk to my students about the power of language, to change people's minds, to effect them, to hurt and to heal. Words matter. This is why I have always been a reader, because I'm inspired by the power of narrative. I love a good story. I get caught up in reading in a way that nothing else has ever done.
Shakespeare was an early influence on me. He is one of several authors whose use of language compels me to read and re-read his works. They are old friends, whose visage returns to me in times of trouble. I will often find bits and pieces of my favorite authors' words in my mind, comforting me and enriching my life.
Today I'm posting just a short piece, to remind you of the power of language. Words matter. We should use them carefully. This means not only caring about what we write (and how we write it) but also to think about what we speak. Words we speak or write can have a profound effect on those around us. Let's make our words count and make a positive difference.
Language is the blood of the soul into which thoughts run and out of which they grow. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes
Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart. ~William Wordsworth
I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle with human emotions. ~James Michener
I was struck by something that has always been a big part of my life--the power of words. I used to talk to my students about the power of language, to change people's minds, to effect them, to hurt and to heal. Words matter. This is why I have always been a reader, because I'm inspired by the power of narrative. I love a good story. I get caught up in reading in a way that nothing else has ever done.
Shakespeare was an early influence on me. He is one of several authors whose use of language compels me to read and re-read his works. They are old friends, whose visage returns to me in times of trouble. I will often find bits and pieces of my favorite authors' words in my mind, comforting me and enriching my life.
Today I'm posting just a short piece, to remind you of the power of language. Words matter. We should use them carefully. This means not only caring about what we write (and how we write it) but also to think about what we speak. Words we speak or write can have a profound effect on those around us. Let's make our words count and make a positive difference.
Language is the blood of the soul into which thoughts run and out of which they grow. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes
Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart. ~William Wordsworth
I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle with human emotions. ~James Michener
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