You Matter
My daughter’s been doing a lot spring cleaning, a lot of purging, and it’s a bit infectious. Before we get too excited, though, my purging has been electronic. I recently read an article that said most people have an average of 12 unread texts and over 1000 unread emails. I’m far below average with texts and emails, but my Kindle library was another matter!
To me, one of the key benefits to a Kindle is free books, so I subscribe to a number of sites that advertise free or reduced price Kindle books. These are often cozy mysteries or rom- coms or other light reads, but if a title looks interesting and is free, I’m very likely to “buy” it. I’m also a Prime member, so there are First Reads and Prime Reads lost in the mix.
I had never bothered to catalog my books until recently. I’ve deleted hundreds of titles I enjoyed but don’t care to read again, and have separated hundreds more into genre categories, which should make it easier to choose a title when I’m ready for a new book.
Although I read far more than what experts claim is “normal” (12.6 books a year, with half of Americans reading 4 or fewer, and 17% reading 0), I doubt I’ll live long enough to read all the titles on my Kindle. That fact doesn’t stop me from downloading new books.
Some might say I’m an indiscriminate reader, and I suppose there’s some truth in that. It doesn’t take me long to choose interesting looking books. Perhaps because I read books like some people watch television (spending an hour or two each evening book in hand, listening to audio books as I complete daily chores, reading another title on my Kindle before falling asleep, picking up another book as I drink my morning coffee), I can afford to read some light, entertaining fluff along with more serious texts.
For those who read fewer books per year, it makes sense to be more selective. Yet I don’t understand the concept of asking random strangers on the internet to choose the next read, which seems a fairly common process in a number of the groups I’m in. People post photographs of library shelves or a haul of books from a thrift store and ask, “What should I read next? What do y’all think?” Some posters confess to being in a reading slump and begging for a title that will help them overcome their sudden disinterest in reading.
I suspect the posts aren’t as simple as they seem. To me, they seem to be a call for connection, a check-in to see if anyone is listening, if anyone cares. Reading is a solitary habit, yet sharing our thoughts, our ideas with others deepens the experience and understanding to a true human connection. Words sink into our souls, forge a bond between reader and writer, ignite our outrage or passion or fear in a way that other mediums miss.
The great paradox of social media is that it often leaves users feeling more alone than ever. Hence the cry in the wilderness: Is anyone listening? Does anyone hear me? See me? Do I matter?
The great writers answer those questions affirmatively. Yes, you are heard and seen. You matter.
Read Mary Oliver’s poem “Wild Geese” here to be assured of your place in the world.
http://www.phys.unm.edu/~tw/fas/yits/archive/oliver_wildgeese.html