Two of my plans for when I quit practicing law full time were simple and logical: read books and do some writing. As the blog itself shows, the latter hasn’t begun. And that’s even with getting a book review assignment with the thought it might jump start things. The book was read. Not one word of a review has been written.
There’s little question about the first plan, though. Since “retiring” October 1, I’ve read 26 books totaling 8,292 pages. That’s 140.5 pages a day, with an afternoon and evening yet to go. That figure doesn’t include a book I started September 29, any of the handful of graphic novels I’ve read or the several hundred pages of books I began and then put down. Those 59 days account for about 26% of what I’ve read all year.
You might think all of it might prompt some writing. It’s given me a variety of ideas but the execution is lacking. Still, there’s no rush and who could complain about having the time to read?
Writing is like getting married. One should never commit oneself until one is amazed at one’s luck.
Iris Murdoch, The Black Prince
