Read What Matters to You

Eric Scheske wrote a great article for the National Catholic Register called "Blessed are the Enlightened Ignorant." He reflected on how no matter how much we read or study, we will always remain relatively ignorant. The old adage is true: the more you know, the more you realize that you don't know. Scheske talks about how this relates to the internet. There is so much information and no where near enough time. So, is it all lost? Should we just give up and shut down the information overload? No, but we do need to make some decisions about what we spend time reading.

I don't recall what age I was when I realized that I didn't have to finish something just because I started reading it. After twenty years of formal education, the process of trudging through dull books (admittedly not all of them were dull) all the way until their last paragraph was pretty much ingrained in my consciousness. It was liberating to realize I didn't have to do that anymore. I skim the newspaper and pick and choose what articles I want to read. I have favorite websites I visit every day but if the topic doesn't interest me, I move on to the next site. Most books I still do make my way through to the end. If it interested me enough to pick up, I give the author the benefit of the doubt and try to get some kernels of wisdom from the pages. I am much tougher on leisure reading. If a novel doesn't get me hooked in the first few chapters, I'm not going to waste my time.

Reading is meant to provide us with information and enjoyment. As a writer myself, I greatly appreciate each and every person who takes the time to read and reflect on anything I have written. As Scheske writes,

"Enjoy the books, enjoy the bloggers. If the authors and bloggers are doing their jobs right, they're increasing the sum total of joy in the world. Who knows? They might take away a little bit of our ignorance, too."