Robyn....This is such an expansive vision of where the mind can travel and how its wandering can be serendipitous. People are constantly asking me if I've read this new book, this bestseller. Invariably the answer is no. I choose books the same way I choose secondhand clothes at a garage sale. I go to the library or, indeed, to a garage sale, and rummage around. I take home with me whichever books strike my fancy on the assumption that I will be nourished in some way by reading them. There's so much out there that arriving at a syllabus in advance seems like a recipe for feeling defeated. I prefer to relate to books as islands of delight waiting to be visited.
'Ten thousand hours of conversation with his wife had changed him.' just sustained attention to one person over years until it changed who you were. I think that's what you're describing finding in books now as well. Reading as a relationship rather than a transaction. wow!
Yes, I agree. I have learned that I can have conversations with writers from any century or corner of the world, all from my small-scale village life. Liberating!
“I enjoy village conversation for about ten minutes. And then I want to go home and wrestle with a difficult book.”
That made me smile because it captures something I’ve felt for years while moving between very different worlds. I love local cafés, markets, and the small rituals that make a place feel alive, but sooner or later I find myself looking for the deeper conversation hiding underneath. The best places, and the best people, seem to offer both: belonging and intellectual curiosity. One without the other eventually starts to feel incomplete.
Ah, you gave me something to think about. I've been content as I've aged to shrinking my world, focusing on & being grateful for the littlest things. Perhaps expanding into ideas unknown would be more awesome. Thanks for the brain exercise. {{Hugs}}
Delighted to have helped you in some small way to find a new mindset at 70, and impressed by your openness in even looking for one :) Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. At 51, I’m encountering more such moments myself, with 30-year-olds sparking new perspectives. I don’t mind the mainstream hustle culture of substack; people have to survive after all. But those who have the luxury of some degree of freedom from money-making worries do themselves a disservice if they don’t adopt a more relaxed exploratory intellectual posture.
Thanks for reading Venkatesh. You are right. I shouldn't take my luxury of space in retirement for granted. But I do intend to make the most of it by expanding and deepening my reading and engagement with intellectual pursuits. I love Henrik Karlsson's expanding out a Meetup network for readers of his work around the world. Another avenue for discussion.
So agreed! I find a parallel in a small child discovering the world. The smallest things can spark a laugh of sheer joy. As if he were completing some sort of mental jigsaw. Why do we lose this as adults? When we reconnect with our world—mentally engage with nature, with ideas—then we feel alive in the way of a two-year old celebrating his new understanding.
Thank you Lee. I learnt about your county and so many other things named after Humboldt. I was amazed I didn't know him at all, but fell in love with his energy while reading Andrea Wulf's biography. You will love Henrik Karlsson's work as do many others. Henrik started doing a couple of Meetups in cities that he was visiting and now it seems like it is spreading with Meetups around the world for interested Substackers to meet and chat. He won't be at all of them but it is a chance to meet fellow Substackers.
Robyn....This is such an expansive vision of where the mind can travel and how its wandering can be serendipitous. People are constantly asking me if I've read this new book, this bestseller. Invariably the answer is no. I choose books the same way I choose secondhand clothes at a garage sale. I go to the library or, indeed, to a garage sale, and rummage around. I take home with me whichever books strike my fancy on the assumption that I will be nourished in some way by reading them. There's so much out there that arriving at a syllabus in advance seems like a recipe for feeling defeated. I prefer to relate to books as islands of delight waiting to be visited.
For me, one of the joys of retirement is being able to pick and choose what sparks my interest at any time. Islands of delight indeed.
'Ten thousand hours of conversation with his wife had changed him.' just sustained attention to one person over years until it changed who you were. I think that's what you're describing finding in books now as well. Reading as a relationship rather than a transaction. wow!
Yes, I agree. I have learned that I can have conversations with writers from any century or corner of the world, all from my small-scale village life. Liberating!
Thanks for sharing ☺️🙏🏼
“I enjoy village conversation for about ten minutes. And then I want to go home and wrestle with a difficult book.”
That made me smile because it captures something I’ve felt for years while moving between very different worlds. I love local cafés, markets, and the small rituals that make a place feel alive, but sooner or later I find myself looking for the deeper conversation hiding underneath. The best places, and the best people, seem to offer both: belonging and intellectual curiosity. One without the other eventually starts to feel incomplete.
Indeed Mats. Small-scale living while still connected to big ideas.
Ah, you gave me something to think about. I've been content as I've aged to shrinking my world, focusing on & being grateful for the littlest things. Perhaps expanding into ideas unknown would be more awesome. Thanks for the brain exercise. {{Hugs}}
Hugs to you, too, Jan. Let me know which book sparks you to read next.
Delighted to have helped you in some small way to find a new mindset at 70, and impressed by your openness in even looking for one :) Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. At 51, I’m encountering more such moments myself, with 30-year-olds sparking new perspectives. I don’t mind the mainstream hustle culture of substack; people have to survive after all. But those who have the luxury of some degree of freedom from money-making worries do themselves a disservice if they don’t adopt a more relaxed exploratory intellectual posture.
Thanks for reading Venkatesh. You are right. I shouldn't take my luxury of space in retirement for granted. But I do intend to make the most of it by expanding and deepening my reading and engagement with intellectual pursuits. I love Henrik Karlsson's expanding out a Meetup network for readers of his work around the world. Another avenue for discussion.
Thank you for this inspiration, Robyn!
You are welcome Kim. Let me know what sparks your reading interest next.
So agreed! I find a parallel in a small child discovering the world. The smallest things can spark a laugh of sheer joy. As if he were completing some sort of mental jigsaw. Why do we lose this as adults? When we reconnect with our world—mentally engage with nature, with ideas—then we feel alive in the way of a two-year old celebrating his new understanding.
Thank you.
I absolutely LOVED this.
2 more Substacks to explore.
I only know that a county is named after Humboldt in northern California ( so lots more to learn and assimilate there )
I found this piece really inspiring.
🙏🏻
Thank you Lee. I learnt about your county and so many other things named after Humboldt. I was amazed I didn't know him at all, but fell in love with his energy while reading Andrea Wulf's biography. You will love Henrik Karlsson's work as do many others. Henrik started doing a couple of Meetups in cities that he was visiting and now it seems like it is spreading with Meetups around the world for interested Substackers to meet and chat. He won't be at all of them but it is a chance to meet fellow Substackers.