I remember as a child thinking that there was a finite amount of information in the universe.If I could just read every book, I would be able to know everything. The children's library looked vast but conquerable.
Years later, the Tattered Cover looks anything but conquerable. In fact, when I stroll through a book store or library today, underneath the sense of wonder and possibility is a feeling of frustration, a loss for all that will go unknown.
In the early days of the internet, I got so excited because I would eventually be able to visit every website and absorb all of human knowledge. That sounds so absurd and naive now.
It is hard to accept that for every book I read a gazillion go unseen. For every website I gaze upon there are a googolplex more that will go unknown.
I want to grasp it all. I am failing miserably.
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Only 4 more days to get your entry in for the Limerick Chick Contest. Get your inner poet primed for St Patrick's Day.
17 comments:
I'm not even managing to read all the books I've already bought!
I know. The though of all that information out there that'll I'll never learn makes me sad.
Ain't that the truth? Though it sounds trite, the old saying about the more you learn making you conscious of how little you know really seems to become more poignant.
Hi Lori - In an effort to learn even more from what the world has to offer, I have tagged you for a meme: Six Non-Important Things About Me.
Working on my limerick...
I totally get that sense of frustration. I even used to feel terrible re-reading my favorite books, until I realized that since I can't possibly read every book worth reading, I may as well use my time to read what I really enjoy. Plus, there are incredible benefits of re-reading good things as it's never a completely duplicated experience.
Try not to be distraught! Just enjoy all the wonderful books that you can actually experience, instead of mourning the ones you will never find. There's always time to work on the rest in your next life, afterall. =)
Oooooh, goodie - limerick time!! I LOVE limericks.
I so agree with your post. There's only a certain amount of books we will read in our lifetime ... some books we choose, some books choose us!
xox
I agree with Deanna. It just means you should spend your time reading what you enjoy. There are times where I'll start reading a book and force myself to get through it just because I started it. I should take a lesson from this and learn to just STOP and switch to something better.
Oh, this is so true!! I am embarrassed to think about the pile of unread books in my basement. (Of course if I spent less time on the Internet, some of them of them might actually get read someday...!)
I feel exactly the same way. And the morbid side of me then says, "well, what difference will it make? I'll die and all of that hard work will be gone too." But you see all those books and you want the information. I feel the same way about travel--that there are so many places in the world that I'll die without seeing. Not just whole countries, but the small nooks and crannies inside larger places I've been. I have not even been to the Tattered Cover. Or Denver itself. See!
I love the way you think:) It's so true - the more you know, the more you want to know. I'm struggling right now to read the books that I currently own:)
OOOH the tattered cover.
I was brought back IMMEDIATELY.
I hope to read and read and read until I drop.
Hopefully my eyesight won't go.
Uh oh. Then I guess I get books on tape?
That would be an interesting blog topic -- books we love...or ones that have meant alot to us...though I'm such a book geek.
OOOOH a limerick contest?
Cool.
I haven't finished a book in months... I need to get back to reading...
I feel so understood.
You know, if we ever had a big bloggy convention, the Tattered Cover would be the ideal place.
Of course, we'd never get much talking done. We'd all be browsing.
The book buying thing is a problem. Im trying to use the library too, but then I end up owing sooo many fines!
Im trolling through looking for others who have or are thinking about adoption. This is a great site!
I feel like one of those cartoon characters running in place. I want to learn something about Y. First I need to know something about X. So I go to X. In researching X I discover something I need to know to understand X. I go to X1. Within X1 I find a term I don't know, so I drill down to X2. And so on.
I feel like I can't go from x to y because I've fallen into this vast hole in between. Sometimes I forget my original destination...I only remember that I wanted to get SOMEwhere, but I've lost my way...
I love to read. I just never have the time to anymore :(
J
jrenee -- I think I'm so clever using the library, but then I rack up the fines, too.
Ex -- I SO get this situation!
Geohde -- and it won't get any better anytime soon.
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