Monday Morning Wake-Up Call

Posted on by Live & Learn

It started on Tuesday, last week. I mistitled the post Monday Morning Wake-Up Call and here we were on Tuesday, after a long weekend. You can see where my head was at.

Rather than post original content (well is dry), I threw up yet another clip from yet another distinguished poet, essayist or author. This one by Arthur Brooks on Kierkegaard’s Three Ways to live move fully – – – instead of seeking a new life, the answer is to go deeper in the one you have.

Kiki, a virtual friend and follower, ever vigilant, gets right to the gist of the matter. So, why’d you post it? What’s going on with you? The first two nicked me. The last one – – which Kiki floated in over the weekend…Don’t you have anything of your own to post? Now that hit a nerve.

So, here’s Part 1 of a multipart series.

The passage in Arthur Brooks’ essay that triggered me to post it was this:

Take, for example, an ordinary activity like reading. At the aesthetic level, you read what you come across that seems interesting; maybe you ask people for suggestions, or just browse around between news and essays on the internet. For some, this is good enough. But for you, it might not be—because you want to read with greater focus and purpose, to use your reading to learn and grow. If so, you can move to the ethical stage, in which you make a point of reading more deeply in a few areas, and look for ways to apply that knowledge to your life and work…

So let’s take inventory of the daily reading rituals…

  • Apple News Feed (Daily)
  • Google News Feed (Daily)
  • Bloomberg Daily News + 4 Newsletters a day
  • Feedly RSS Feed of ~125 various feeds (Daily)
  • WordPress Reader Feed (Mostly Daily)
  • NY Times (Daily plus 2 newsletters daily)
  • The Atlantic Magazine (Daily + 2 Newsletters Daily)
  • The Guardian (Daily)
  • Wall Street Journal (Daily)
  • The Washington Post (Daily + Newsletters Daily)
  • Twitter Feed (Mostly Daily)
  • Reader Compilation of Unread articles (Daily, typically an hour)
  • Kindle books, at least 2 in flight at all times.

So, Brooks’ speaking about the “ordinary activity like reading” — Ordinary? Reading? Travis Bickle (De Niro): “You talkin’ to me?”

Guzzling words, and more words, and yet more words. Insomniac, with epiphora, eyes squinting, itchy, being asked to gobble up MORE. Four pairs of reading glasses on the nightstand, each carrying different magnification, depending on the intoxication of insomnia. Margo Steines: “…is there more, I need more, always more.”

How did we get here? Get where? This constant addition of reading sources over time, tree rings without the growth.

And this excludes Social Media, and emails (personal and work) and texts (personal and work) and other content incessantly gushing in from smartphones, laptops, ipads, and desktops.

And here we are, groaning under the weight of Words, afflicted with a pathological inability to thin the underbrush.

— just can’t do it.

Photo: “Wave upon Wave in the Storm at Cove Island Park” – DK – 7:15am December 18, 2023

62 thoughts on “Monday Morning Wake-Up Call”

  1. Dave, dear Dave; this truly is one of the very few times where I lack words…. I love you, your taking up the challenge of telling us YOUR stories, hammering us with more words than my combined dictionaries of about 20 languages contain, your number of newsletters and -papers you read and the one question on my mind stays the same: When the heck are you doing your day’s work? You cannot be human, admit it. The photos of you with wally, your walks in CT, the countless articles and messages you send out to colleagues and friends, they are all AI – only we didn’t ever realise it. You CANNOT do all of this!
    I also don’t know if I should apologise. If I do not you’ll treat me as a traitor to your brilliance, if I do, I’m not true to myself. I feel like having opened Pandora’s box and there is NO way I can ever close it again.
    OK boy, hit me – with all your might. Oh but you can’t… you’re not human! Gotta love you! 🙂

    1. “They are ALL A.I.” STILL LAUGHING Kiki. So Good. I WISH!
      And No, you haven’t opened up Pandora’s Box, you just kicked it!
      Love you Kiki. You are absolutely the BEST!

  2. …. And isn’t it funny that I just turned on my iPad and that new post of yours simply jumped at me. Didn’t even realise you just uploaded it! But don’t worry, there will be times when I get my eyes treated, and not knowing anything about that great word concerning not being able to NOT having tears spilling out of your ‘viewers’ – I’m having, among other things, too dry eyes. That’s not what I’m operating soon, they found TWO other things to cut me open and insert their tiny, minuscule scissors, knives, lamps, suction devices and got know what else. I just hope they can fold them up again afterwards and when bandages come off that I’ll might be able to read you again.

  3. David

    I too am lost for words. I don’t know where you find the time. I hope you’re getting more than a couple of hours sleep a night. If you’re able it would be great to see more of your prose/words.

    Take care, Julian

    PS. You’d enjoy the writing of Katherine Mansfield. She brings even the tiniest detail to life. I’m a late convert. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/katherine-mansfield

    1. Thank you Julian. Appreciate you. Thanks for suggesting Katherine Mansfield. I will definitely check this out. I was looking for something more to read. 🙂

  4. I find all of your posts reach out to me in some way and connect, whether your words, or another whose words you personal connect with. Both leave me inspired and reflective, and many times laughing out loud. Your life is busy and like me, sustained hours of sleep rarely come. I really enjoy it all and I feel when you, or othered, myself included, share something from someone else that means that it touched you in some way that you’d like to share with your readers, thinking they might be touched by it too, and that is a wonderful thing in itself.

  5. Like Beth, I find your posts compelling, whether a share prompted by an insight or agreement, or original content borne of a new encounter or special experience. I do marvel at all that you ‘ingest’ every day, pal, a Herculean task to be sure. I’m realizing there’s always more…to read, to synthesize, to share…or not. Go gentle on yourself, DK. Just sayin’….

  6. You’re preaching to the choir, pal – although I have decreased my compulsive need to read (ha – did you see what I did there?🥴), with much rationality. And I’ve got Brooks in the queue, but stress over the ever-expanding list. Letting some of it go, or held for a weekend may help? I know, I know – you’re going to do what you do – & that’s ok with me

      1. Sorry. I thought I could be funny and send a picture of Captain Kirk and his Trouble with Tribbles. Your struggle with words and all the words you read reminded me of that episode.

  8. Dear David, firstly you should be nice to yourself. How long it has been that I follow (read) you I don’t remember now, but I know it is a long time. Always I find something in your posts, reaches me too. And I know this is not only for me, you always reach with your posts to your readers,…. this is really great and believe me so many writers can’t do this… So what does it me to reach a reader/or to catch a reader’s mind/heart, etc….? You are not an ordinary reader, you make a great points for us, and hitting in our world too. Even I come from different culture, different country and language but humanity is same, even humans are being different. I am not sure did I explain correctly… Yes dear David, be nice to yourself, as your readers said, you are amazing.You are from a very rare literate class and it is not easy at all… I follow you with respect, admiration and great interest. Sometimes I have a hard time keeping up. But you have a strange magic power that never disappoints me, it is impossible for me to pass without reading you. Blessing and Happiness! Thank you, Love, nia

    1. Awwwwwww. What a wonderful comment. I can feel the warmth and gentleness you emit through the wires every time you post a photo, or share a comment like this one. Thank you so much for your kindness. Appreciate you Nia. Have a good day.

  9. Don’t feel badly, I didn’t even noticed that the Monday Morning Wake-Up Call was on Tuesday! What day is it today? I’m researching wabi sabi these days, determined to embrace a culture of imperfection in all that I do, including the compulsion to read everything that’s ever been written. 🙂

  10. Dear DK,
    I am glad someone else that follows you, has called you out for your superhuman powers. I hope this will equate to you finally admitting you do NOT sleep, rest or stop moving. Thank you for sharing your search for inspiration and new knowledge in the form of the written word. Whether it be digital or paper. As an educator, I regretfully share the decline in such eagerness by our youth. Let us hope however that with continued modeling, they too will someday seek knowledge from places other than YouTube & TikTok. Thanks to you, I am also now a subscriber to the WSJ. For that I think you actually owe me 50 bucks. See you in the morning!

    Cara

    1. Hello Cara! Thanks for the inspiration. We’re counting on YOU to push back the TikTok tide and get our young-uns to READ! I am so curious though, why subscribe to the Wall Street Journal?

  11. Epiphora. I am grateful you included the link to its definition. Quite frankly, I might have thought I was suffering from it too reading your reading list as my eyes immeditately watered up at the sheer weight of all you read on a daily basis pummelled me senseless.

    And as Lori so compassionately suggests, go gently on yourself DK. What would you tell your son if he came to you carrying such a burden of WORDS complaining of a pathological inability to thin the underbrush? Would you tell him to quit whining? To get over himself? Or, would you gently, lovingly guide him to recovery… Perhaps there’s a 12 step program for those who have become addicted to feeds feeding them fodder full of words filling their frenzied thoughts with frightful fits of sleeplessness for fear the words are taking over their world!

    Sending you many hugs. And sleepy thoughts.

    1. Sorry. I couldn’t stop laughing after reading “Pummelled me senseless.” So good. As was “quit whining!” more truth. Thanks Louise. I’m searching on Google for 12 step recovery program. Will keep you posted!

  12. David, I’ve been fascinated with your blog for a long time and like others I marvel at your content and process. Two ideas I wanted to share with you: first, curation can be as meaningful as creation if you explain why you curated the content in the first place (as you know, I don’t always do this). Second, going to sites to read their content is so inefficient. I suggest you try Inoreader and make the content come to you for reading or curation. See https://brightshinyobjects.net/2017/09/10/inoreader-the-content-reader-for-power-users-who-want-to-save-time/

    1. Thank you Todd. I have you to blame for getting me started on the Blogging / Curation road. :). I believe that Inoreader has the same functionality as Feedly which I am an avid user. I think I just need to use Feedly more effectively in my curation activities. Hope you are doing well.

  13. I’m always grateful for your posts Dave. I always enjoy them and learn from them. Thank you for that!

    BUT THIS IS YOUR LIFE! Make YOURSELF HAPPY as much as possible! I always feel that taking care of your own health has to be priority #1. Because if you are not well, then you can’t take care of those you love.

    ** Be gentle with yourself! **

    If research and blogging/writing makes you happy, wonderful! If you have other things that you would rather be doing, GO DO THEM!

    Every word you share with your readers is a gift.
    But you don’t owe us ANYTHING!

    As much as possible, do what fills YOU with Joy!

    Peace,
    Paul

  14. p.s.. just read back all of my typos, and I’ve never claimed to be an accurate typist, nor do I aspire to be, as long as my message comes through )

  15. You must be a speed reader to read all of those. Surely you skim most of them? I am in awe of how you can cull from everything you do read a little snippet here, another there; a longer share, shorter share.
    Whether you are sharing your words or sharing someone else’s you are still sharing a part of you, of what touches you and you feel might touch others.
    Like everyone has said, be kind. If this is your joy, it is your joy.

    1. Thank you Dale. Yes, typically both, fast reader and skim and therein lies the problem. No depth in guzzling. And so very much love your close: “if this is your joy, it is your joy.” LOVE THIS.

      1. It is not a problem. my friend. As you skim, something attracts your attention so you go deeper. And then you share it with us! So glad you LOVE that your joy is acknowledged. 🙂

  16. Hi, David, It’s been too long. This piece hits home. I’ve found life better with fewer words. “Keeping up” keeps me on the hamster wheel. It never stops. By 7:00A.M., I’ve already lost my lunch. I find wisdom in the first two sentences of Dutch philosopher Willem Zuurdeeg’s Bibliography for “An Analytical Philosophy of Religion:” “The following bibliography is offered with considerable hesitation. Each student is in danger of reading too much and thinking too little.”

    “Live & Learn” draws me to itself you avoid the trap of reading too much and thinking too little. Thank you, David.

    1. Hi Gordon. Thank you. So much wisdom in your thoughts here. “Hamster Wheel” So me… And “the trap of reading too much and thinking too little” – this is Truth. Thanks for sharing Gordon. Much to think about.

  18. As for me, there is nothing that has been written, therefore, I truly enjoy what you share with us. You have the genius of posting them. I’m too lazy to find good articles. I too have problems sleeping, I reverted to brewing my own tea that induces good sleep. Celery tea and banana including peel.

  19. I tend to think that the things we choose to read, and particularly the passages that strike us deeply enough to want to share, communicate something about who we are. Sometimes, even, they say more about us than any words we explicitly string together.

    P.S. Are you familiar with the podcast channel Diary of a CEO, on YouTube? The host, Steven, recently interviewed Dr. Aditi Nerurkar, and I recalled the episode because she discusses the impact of news scrolling, on sleep. You may find it insightful!

    1. Hi Laila. 1) This you say is so True: “I tend to think that the things we choose to read, and particularly the passages that strike us deeply enough to want to share, communicate something about who we are. Sometimes, even, they say more about us than any words we explicitly string together.” 2) I am now a subscriber to “The Diary of a CEO.” I had never heard of it. Thank you for the recommendation and adding to the content consumption pile!!!!!

      2. I second, Laila’s suggestion of “The Diary of a CEO.”, I’ve watched 6-8 over the past 2 months…As, to you Dave—I’m contemplating what to say, re: you above share…the reply may come to you email…I also have sleep issues a good night is 3/12 to 4 hours…I do fall asleep on the couch in the daytime and evening, sitting up. Just these past 3 week, I’ve started going to bed not long after the dear husband, sometimes at the same time and we fixed the too heavy bed covers & that helps. I’ve had two nights of 6 hours of sleep!, this past week!!! Nature’s Truth Buffered Magnesium Glycinate 665 mg & Natural Factors Benfotiamine BI (150mg plus Sulbutianime Plant Extracts BioCoenzymated – I’ve watched several Youtube videos some are from the Michigan Foot Doctors… to your Health & Rest…
        Kindly, Christie

          1. Usually the 2.5 to almost 4 hours isn’t continuously but broken up over the course of the night. Around, 4:30 am I throw in the towel and go sit on the couch in the dark, under a two sweater. One sweater over my sweats…the other a red wool one I put over the legs then I envelope myself within a blanket… the kitten cat is on the other couch sleeping. Sometimes I watch youtube, before the light of day sneaks in…

  20. Well, you have a choice to dump it all, save the walks. It’s highly edited to control readers/the public anyhow. Surely you know this? Perhaps then you will truly begin to plumb the depths, only, so far as i know, possible in silence or walking in nature. Many people cannot do silence, but in the end, that is what we will confront. Hang in there, bro. Sleep and peace are possible. But we need to shake out the demons first. 😘

    1. Smiling. All wise Bela. I believe (madness I know) that I see what the algorithms are doing and I’m above them. Addict rationalizing his own lunacy. And wow, I LOVED your close: “Sleep and peace are possible. But we need to shake out the demons first”. So much TRUTH here!

  21. Our post-pandemic and post-45 Insane Clown Posse regime breather really hasn’t been that long, yet — and it was shortened even more by a murderous ex-KGB-er, and an outrageous number of mass shootings. Not to even mention climate change, and the constant 45-shouts getting closer. We have never been HERE before; the new normal is still around the bend somewhere (at least for me and a number of family and friends). While we recover more from that PTSD of heart, mind and soul, it wouldn’t hurt to drop our self-measuring sticks. (Beyond the Golden Rule, do we really need them?) Whatever, tho’, I wish you enough sleep, too much laughter, and pecan? pie.🌷🙏

    1. I have copied your comment and added it to my Commonplace quotes, and there is SO MUCH GREAT Here. I esp loved: ” it wouldn’t hurt to drop our self-measuring sticks. (Beyond the Golden Rule, do we really need them?) Whatever, tho’, I wish you enough sleep, too much laughter, and pecan?”

      Thank you!

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