Some people out there will tell you that life is something to be conquered. “Grab life by the horns” and all that. Make it bend to your will, create the life that you want to live. And, there is absolutely something to this ambitious, proactive, “lean in” way of thinking. But, what if we went about this in a different kind of way? What if we chose to approach life the same way that go about reading a book?
Let me explain.
I’m Going on an Adventure!
Alan Watts once said, “Life is a song.” When you’re listening to a great song, the objective isn’t to get to the end as quickly as you can. Otherwise, you’d keep skipping ahead to the end of every song. That’s missing the point entirely. You’re supposed to enjoy the music. Sing along. Dance. Bob your head and tap your feet.
In much the same way, the value in reading doesn’t come from getting to the end of the book as quickly as you can. The value, particularly in works of fiction, comes from the journey that you take along the way. As Bilbo Baggins exclaimed, “I’m going on an adventure.”
If you approach life the same way, you can also enjoy it along the way. After all — spoiler alert — you probably already know how your story ends, even if you don’t know the specifics of how it happens.
On Genres and Tropes
Is your life a comedy? A thriller? Drama? I guess they’re all period pieces. Life imitates art, they say, far more than art imitates life. As you make your way through your day-to-day, you’re bound to encounter some colorful characters. They won’t all fit neatly into stereotypical tropes, but you can see the roles that they play. And the roles that you play in their lives.
Indeed, while we oftentimes think that we’re the star of the story (hello, protagonist disease), we easily forget that we’re just the background actors in someone else’s story.
And to that end, we just might fit into a trope or two ourselves. Are you the loving confidante in someone’s romance novel? Are you the klutzy shopkeeper? You have to be willing to laugh at yourself sometimes, after all.
As the Chapters Unfold
Books differ from other forms of entertainment in at least one very notable way: you’re in charge of the pace. Generally speaking, you don’t speed up, slow down or pause most music as you listen to it. The same is broadly true when watching a TV show or a movie. Yes, I know you can technically change their speed, but that’s not typically how we choose to consume that kind of media. And you definitely have no control over pacing for live entertainment.
But, when you read a book, you’re (basically) in control of the pace. When you come across a particularly poignant paragraph, you may choose to pause and reflect before moving on. You might re-read it for greater clarity or to see if you missed anything. In short, you can choose to slow down and take your time, just like how you can choose to approach life.
Just take it one page at a time, and allow the story to unfold in your mind’s eye. Be present and be mindful of what’s happening right here, right now, on this “page” in your life.
The Serial Bookworm
Going back for a moment on the topic of genres discussed above, we must also recognize that we’re never fully bound (pun intended) to any one genre either. Looking at what I’ve read so far this year, I’m gone on a culinary journey with Anthony Bourdain; endured an Alaskan winter with Wolverine; sought out my passion with Henri Junttila; and investigated the invisible gorilla with Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons. My reading interests are varied, and I’ll bounce from genre to genre, format to format.
Why can’t we choose to approach life in a similar kind of way? I’m a blogger, sure, but I’m also a father, I dabble in video, and I’m fascinated by moral philosophy. The world is a vast and varied place, and I want to read all about it. Go ahead and pick up a cookbook one day, a theoretical physics dissertation the next, and a lighthearted comic about quirky cats the day after that. You’re allowed.
That the Powerful Play Goes On
“We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.”
Of the many lessons we can glean from Dead Poets Society, perhaps this one is the most poignant. We live to tell stories. And to listen to them. And to ponder on them. Human expression is what makes us, well, quintessentially human. When we read these stories, written today or hundreds of years ago, we gain insight into the human condition. We better understand what it means to be alive, to recognize what is truly valuable and meaningful.
And, as we go about our lives like how we go about reading our books, we mustn’t forget the most existential of questions: What will your verse be? What is your contribution to this, the greatest story ever told?
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