Archive for June 20th, 2011
The Pleasure of One at a Time
As an enthusiastic reader, I once lived happily with books scattered everywhere. I do mean everywhere. An almost permanent pile rode in the backseat of my car, waiting for a return to the library. A tower of books teetered next to my favorite spot on the sofa. One was usually forgotten in the kitchen, discarded while refilling my wine glass. Another next to the bathtub, waterlogged and slightly stained with pink bubble bath. If there weren’t at least twenty books overflowing from my living spaces - well, something felt wrong.
With my decision to focus on writing this summer, I also decided to curb the number of books I check out from the library because those piles (and piles) were distracting. Wonderfully distracting, mind you, but distracting nonetheless.
Surprisingly, I’ve found a lovely side effect of reading only one book at a time. When I had twenty books, I found myself anxiously skimming through the pages of whichever one I held, hurrying to finish it. I was like the paper version of the Nascar 500. Because, after all, I had nineteen others that needed to be read, too. With one single book, though, I relish each page. I’m in no rush. Now I find myself reading meaningful paragraphs over again several times, letting the words sink in and unwind into my head. I find myself closing the book occasionally, taking time to ponder and daydream. Because I choose only one book from the library, I choose it carefully, and am rarely disappointed with my choice. I go through fewer books, but I’m actually reading more.
When I uncluttered and minimized, I believed the empty space needed to be filled, at least partially, with my favorite things. But my favorite things, too, are best when deliberately chosen and thoughtfully pursued. I’ve found this to be true about more than books. Picking out one bottle of wine is more satisfying than picking out three. With only one bottle, I must read each label, think of my impending dinner, consider my mood. I love this process! Capturing one excellent photograph is better than a dozen half-hearted snapshots. With taking only one photograph, I must see the landscape. A bouquet of roses may be stunning, but a single rose seduces my gaze to the curve of each petal.
One flavor of Jelly Belly stuffed into my mouth is better than ten flavors, no matter how much I love sugar :) .
One is a powerful number.
