Well, I've taken the plunge. I created a blog. I have yet to decide if this is for real or if I'll be deleting the whole thing before this week is through. (And for anyone wondering, there are less than 24 hours left in this week.) I guess we'll find out.
You see, I'm of the opinion that the internet has become an excuse to be a narcissistic jerk. Yes, the whole internet. I'm real broad-minded that way. I'm not on any social media. I don't tweet, update my status, pin things, or instagram. I try to keep my relationships live and 3D instead of only interacting with humans across screens. So I'm a little conflicted about this whole blog idea.
Here's the thing: I don't think everyone on the internet is a narcissistic jerk. I follow a lot of great blogs and really enjoy them. I check them almost obsessively, partly due to the above-mentioned fact of not being on any social media whatsoever. And the other day, after I got on my man's facebook to post a comment in a group I helped to start a few years back, he said to me, "Babe, you should just write a blog."
Ok, let's back up a little bit. I'm an avid reader. I think one of the best things you can do in this life is to read, read, and then read a little bit more. Scratch that: a LOT more. And I like to surround myself with other people who also enjoy reading and talking about what they're reading. One night when I was sitting around with said people, we started to talk about how we should purpose to read more classical literature and keep each other accountable in the process. We proceeded to make a list of like...a million great books. (All right, maybe it wasn't a million, but I'm a huge fan of hyperbole. I mean, what is life if you never exaggerate a little, amiright?) Anyway, The Official Book Club was born. And it was great. For a few months. Then it kinda died off. And despite valiant efforts to revive it on different occasions, the truth is: we've all got busy, beautiful lives that don't revolve around posting about what we're currently reading or having in-depth discussions on authors and their literary genius.
So before this first post turns into a book in and of itself, let me state my goal for this little nook of the internet: to be intentional about what I read and to share about my literary adventures.
Henry David Thoreau said, "Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them at all." And from that sweet little nugget, you get the title of my blog. I don't want to come to the end of life saying, "Oh, I wish I had read ________." I want to read it. Now.
Also, if you've made it this far, you may recall me stating somewhere earlier in this post how full of narcissism the internet is. Abraham Lincoln said, "Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren't very new after all." You're not going to find any new or life-changing thoughts here. My goal is not to blow your mind with some brilliant, philosophical notion. Solomon said, "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 1:9 NIV)
Everything being taken into account, I'd love to discuss what I'm reading, what you're reading, what we all should be reading, and I'd like to glorify God in the process. So if you can't say something nice, take your negativity elsewhere. If reading's not your thing, you probably haven't made it this far anyway. But if you're in the middle of the most mind-blowing book and you've just got to share it with someone before you explode, let's be best friends.
Peace out for now.
"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."
-1 Corinthians 10:31 (KJV)
Bless your soul. :-)
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