Postmarked July 16

I know it's been a while since I last updated this, but that's mostly because I haven't had much to say (or what's been on my mind has been too private). I think also that it's healthier not to feel that blogging is obligatory. Yeah, that's breaking new ground. But you know, I think it's very easy to believe in that principle and then betray it in the next breath (I'm implicating myself, of course). Maybe you don't share personal information or emotional drama, but can you pick up a book to read or put on an album without looking for excerpts to share? I find it a bit maddening - you begin to question whether you pick a book because you're interested in it or because you want to signal to other people that you're a person who reads, and who reads this particular kind of book. Maybe you don't even like Leonard Cohen - you just know that you're supposed to.

I find that the best way to allay these concerns about a grand performance is to remove the performing aspect of it (posting about it), at least while you're actually reading the book and for some time after. Of course, it could be argued that this is just practicing delayed gratification, but that's useful anyway. After all, it's what keeps me going while I can't tell if anyone reads this blog without me asking them to, and while I know nobody reads The Unfortunates after I ask them to. ~∓~

Now reading: Leonard Cohen - "Book of Longing" 20 july 2022 @ 15:36 local | time elapsed: 36 minutes