Pages

Thursday, November 11, 2021

Thursday Thoughts...

"A truly good book teaches me better than to read it. I must soon lay it down, and commence living on its hint…What I begin by reading, I must finish by acting". 

David Henry Thoreau

So true I think of a really good book.  One that stays with you. That you keep on your shelf. Or by your bed. That you write notes from. That you return to. One that has its corners turned over as reminders. Where pink sticky notes stick out along the edges.

It is these sorts of books that I think are the ones that that get under my skin, that make me want to try to understand something better, so that I might incorporate it into my way of being.  These are the books with life lessons that mean something to me. They may be aspirational; they may be simple and direct. They may be the same as three other books I have marked in exactly the same way but which I keep failing to actually implement the lessons from.

I like the phrasing "living on its hint..."  I guess that would be another reason for keeping them around - the hint of something, perhaps out of focus or out of reach for now, which may become clearer the more we return to it or try to respond to it with actions.


This. Baking bread. 

Symbolic of all the books I read and keep about simplifying, having less, buying less. Of making more and creating more. Of a simpler life....

2 comments:

  1. I would presume to paraphrase Thoreau thusly ...

    "A truly good blog teaches me better than to read it [and to gaze at its imagery] ... What I begin by reading [and seeing], I must finish by acting"

    And here I would thank you for the many good words and images in your blog, much appreciated prompts for my own making

    P.S. I made some bread yesterday and wondered out loud why I don't do that more often ... ha!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Liz! Bringing the quote up to date is a fine thing, and your kind words are warmly appreciated. I love that you made bread as well recently - it is quite a fabulous thing to achieve - a humble loaf of bread is grand. Go well and apologies for a tardy reply...

      Delete

I appreciate your thoughts and comments; thanks for taking the time.