I have commitment issues.
Once I commit to something I have to see it to the end. Which is why I prefer to watch a movie vs multiple episode TV series.
Seven or more season long shows are my ARCH-NEMESIS. I don’t even like to give the shows a shot, because once I’m invested, I am IN and it becomes too much of a time commitment.
My commitment issues are also true for books.
Like a Pringles can, once I pop a book open, I don’t stop until it’s completed. Yes, this does mean I’ve read a LOT of not so great books HOWEVER I can confidently say the book didn’t get better!
The “what ifs” and wondering what happened in a book can keeps a person up at night.
I don’t want to wonder if Dax will ever change his mind about kids, I’ll just stick it out to the end and know for sure. (He did.)
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I have 18 unread emails sitting in my inbox serving as a little check list reminder.
- yoga classes I’ve been meaning to try.
- school receipts for taxes
- thought provoking emails
- appointment confirmations.
Once the email has reminded me of what needs to be done I delete it. This year I accidentally signed up for assignment reminders 🫥. This was largely due to the fact that my oldest let himself get 150 assignments behind one year.
We BOTH ended up grounded after that.
He got grounded and I was grounded right next to him making sure he did the work. To ensure that didn’t happen again I signed up for the assignment reminders. Turns out THAT was a big mistake and I can’t figure out how to undo it. When my email notifications jump from around 20 up to 60 I know the teachers have been busy.
I digress….
I don’t subscribe to a lot of newsletters, it helps me keep my inbox manageable. Most of the time, the newsletters are read and deleted but every once in a while something will stick out and gives me something to reflect on.
Jacki Carr is the latest one of those.
The best part of her newsletters are the end. She has this section called, “Lately”. She goes over how she’s feeling, what she’s reading, what she’s writing and other random things.
In a recent newsletter, the Lately section had this:
“Reading: I returned every book I got from the Library recently because I had already embarked on book 1 of the Hades x Persephone series by Scarlett St. Clair and reading anything else just did not feel like an option once the series arrived in the snail mail. I told my friend recently, I am a monogamous book reader. It’s who I am.”
A monogamous book reader…
I am NOT a monogamous book reader.
Committed yes, monogamous, no.
I’ve tried monogamy, really I have and frankly when you are in the trenches of series it’s best not to see other books BUT I’m not reading any series right now. Instead I’m reading 5 different books. Five VERY different books.
On audible I’m listening to Worthy by Jamie Kern Lima, I listen to one chapter a day and my bestie and I discuss it. During my work day, after the Worthy chapter is done I listen to Why Buddhism Is True by Robert Wright on Spotify.
Then, if our daily work huddle is less than the 15 minutes it’s scheduled for I spend the remains minutes reading poetry or short stories. Currently that book is Boundaries and Protection by Pixie Lighthorse.
On my 15 minute break Wolfie and I go outside (weather permitting) and I read a main book. Right now that’s Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton.
Lastly I have a collection of Rumi’s work at my bedside. I find it easier to sleep if I end the day with his words.
Normally I don’t “read” two audio books at the same time, but I’m caught up on my go-to podcast episodes and I have a stack of books I’ve been meaning to get to. Trading in podcasts for audio books seems like a good way to get through the stack on my bookshelf.
Could I cut down the number of books I’m involved with?
Sure.
Do I want to?
No.
I like the variety they each provide.
Of course, I’m sure a series will come along that will make me turn all of my attention to it but until then I’ll be reading through my bookshelf 5 books at a time. 🤣
Namaste,
Jes xoxo