Having a need to bring along something to read for such a long trip, I selected War and Peace. Almost a cliche for the long, epic novel, it should last me for the duration of my long, epic bike ride.
Like most old dudes, I typically read more history, biography, political science and current affairs. My friend Malcolm once said that given only a limited amount of time to read, he wanted to read something that imparted new knowledge as opposed to reading for distraction or amusement. I think this works pretty well, however a good novel can offer new understanding and insight.
Having read a few Russian novels in the past I know to expect a confusing universe of characters. This is a real problem for me. Normally, 3-5 characters is about my limit. I've read 35 pages and I've already made notes on 16 characters. I have no way to know which ones are important and enduring, nor do I know how many more await me. The standouts so far are; Anna Pavlovna, Prince Vassily, Andre Bolonosky, Pierre and Anna Mihalovna, with Pierre being my early favorite.
I am taking it as a bit of a leap of faith that something of relevance will come to me from this investment of time and attention. War and Peace when viewed simply are polar opposites of the human condition, but the author may have another point to make on this matter. I find myself facing a decision between a similar polarity, Work or Retirement. While I have retired from my former job, I have several options to return to work. I have been afforded the two month duration of the bicycle trip to make a decision among one of the offers, or alternatively remaining retired from my former kind of work. Of course, I could pursue an entirely new line of work, and may ultimately do so. It is safe to say my experience and expertise from the past 30 years would be most valued and rewarded by continuing in this field. But this is only true if I constrain myself to the world I currently know.
The question is, what do I value? Will I have the wisdom and vision to see it and pursue it? My best thinking occurs on the bike, which is why I will make the decision from the saddle.
Years ago I resigned my job as an engineer to join the Peace Corps. My only supporters were my two brothers. Thanks guys. It was a big step for me to leave Raleigh, NC and move to Lesotho in Africa. It was one of the 3 biggest decisions of my life. Now faced with another major crossroads, I have brought Tolstoy along as a potential guide. Last time it was James Joyce and Ayn Rand.
I literally know nothing of the novel except its famous length. This could turn out to be of no help at all in framing my decision. So be it. I'll find another path if need be.
If you've read this far you are either exceedingly bored or mildly interested. So, while I have you, let me recommend two books for you. My copies of both of these are so filled with notes that they appear to be an editor's volume. Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman led to a Noble prize in economics, despite being written by a psychologist. The Economics of Good and Evil by Thomas Sedlacek is a second choice. It is a tour de force of the topic beginning with humans' oldest known story, the Legend of Gilgamesh. It is the best book i have ever read. Both of these books reframed the way I view the world and my place in it.
After 61 pages, I've taken in a bit of Tolstoy's description of the courtier scene in Russia. Everyone asks of the threat of war and I assume the wealthy Russians are worried about an attack by Napoleon and the potential impact to their wealth and status.
ReplyDeleteSo, in my life, Napoleon would symbolize disruptive change. That is a good parallel to my retirement. While compared to the counts and countesses of Tsarist Russia I am tradesman with little wealth or status, I did have a sense of relevance and purpose in my job that is now disrupted by my retirement. In actuality, little has changes for me since retiring. I mean, no I don't go to the office, but I remain the same person with the same views. Whether or not my arc in life changes in any significant way is to be determined.
I spend a good amount of time at the gym. I'm impressed at all of the seniors that come there to try to strengthen and maintain their body. I'm often saddened at how many do the opposite with their minds. So much of their conversation is the recounting of a looping narrative on how everything is going to Hell these days. They can all agree with each other that they could fix this world as their circle of contacts and experience contracts and vanashes. I am not passing judgment on them, I am cautioning myself. I have been given a great opportunity to build a new person.
Or maybe to rediscover a forgotten one.
The "War" still beckons. I was in a meeting last Thursday where a nice young lady Engineer at M&S asked me to check with you about a particular subject and she was astounded to learn that you had decided to opt for "Peace" instead and had retired. Her response was something like, "No, he's not allowed to do that!"
ReplyDeleteThe War will still be ongoing if/when ever you decide to return to the battlefield. Enjoy the ride...I mean read. It will all be here when you get back!