Conquered Words: May

This is my monthly post where I tell you what I have read and (ever so briefly) what I thought about each work. If you haven't read these books, then read this blog and pretend that you did!

Everybody disappoints themselves, that's for sure, and no exceptions exist in the life of a reader. Your hopes of reading The Wealth of Nations or the entirety of Nabokov's letters in one summer normally find themselves half finished and abandoned earlier than expected. More often than not, your books sit on your nightstand or desk (or wherever you place them) like the good friend you always forget to call. You see their name in your contacts list, see a post by them on Facebook and think, "I should really call that old bag of a man" and you "never get around to it." That friend is your books. And that was my life with my books during the month of May.

This May, I read zero books...stuff just happened and happened fast. "Conquered Words" huh? More like UNconquered Schmerds!!! ROFL LOLZ FTW (!!!)

Anyways.

An acceleration in work means a higher pressure in school and vice versa. With all of this, reading things outside of school/work ended up in a big fat bagel (zero books read).

I certainly do not view this as a negative thing. While reading is of great benefit, it is no longer a communal activity, which it was until the invention of the television. Before the early to mid-20th century, reading was done in community. People would sit together and read books both silently and out loud. Reading poetry together was a very common social event. I know, BOOOORRRRIIIING. Aren't you glad we have such great thing to spend our time with? Shows like The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, America's Got Talent, America's Next Top Model, Hell's Kitchen, The Real World, Celebrity Rehab, What Not To Wear, The Biggest Loser, Cake Boss, Survivor, American Idol, True Life, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, Wife Swap, Dr. Phil, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, My Super Sweet 16, the Marriage Ref, Run's House, Undercover Boss, Top Chef, Dancing with the Stars, The Hills, Laguna Beach, The Amazing Race, Last Comic Standing, Big Brother, The Real Housewives, Project Runway, John and Kate plus 8, The Apprentice, Average Joe, Celebrity Fit Club, Pimp My Ride, and Jersey Shore?

Me too.

Anyways, reading is a very solitary activity for me, and sometimes when I read a lot I look back and see how few interactions I had with people. This month was full of amazing interactions, conversations, and dialogues with people I have been blessed with in my life. I also wrote a TON.

But most notably, I just returned from three full days with some of the best brothers God has given to me in my life. Three great gentlemen and I (and hundreds of thousands of others) attended and camped at the Sasquatch! Music Festival deep in the Columbia River Gorge. I was without internet, my computer, cell phone, and any other technological devices for three blissful days. We listened to the most amazing artists of our time, seeing concerts from about noon to midnight each day. While the shows were off the chain (word), the best part was experiencing all that a music festival is with your best buds. Worth. Every. Penny. Thanks dudes for blessing me and thank you, God for inventing music and letting us play with the notes what we were given. Also, this was my view all weekend:
Reading has incredible value, the likes of which we will certainly never be able to fully know, but the same value or greater is possible in the bet we offer when we give one another the possibility of rich and real friendship.

Keep reading, friends.