author receives a left handed compliment for his excessive reading

 author receives a left handed compliment for his excessive reading

fiction

edward w pritchard

This author is seldom to be seen without a stack of recently purchased used books to be soon quickly scanned and underlined to fill his free time in his old age. Subjects vary but literature, history, philosophy and Greek and Roman writing, great books, tragedies of the finest play writers and the essays of Montaigne and others of his sort are the usual fare. 

Recently author received a left handed compliment that if- he could remember everything he reads he would be a genius-. Author did not take offence at said pedantic statement choosing instead to remain silent until this written blog to address " why we should want to read more and more in our old age even though no one is particularly interested in what we have to say about anything.

Starting with Montaigne's essays, study of philosophy in ones old age prepares one to die gracefully. Montaigne also mentions that having an excellent memory is commonly coupled with infirm judgment [ essay 1-9]. and Montaigne implies  in the same essay   "if one has an average memory he will not remember the injuries he has received." 

We have so few true friends as we age. Better to have an average memory so as not to dwell on the sadness the fates  have sent our way. 

Despite the years author always recalls fondly a pretty face. Some people spend time checking their on line phone for wiki's opinion on Montaigne essays or Chekhov's best plays and sometimes other people collect the world's greatest literature to anchor themselves into their last few years of their meager existence straining to remember this or that; using learning as a hobby before the lights go out permanently.  

Should author have occasion to meet Michel de Montaigne I would explain to him about Voyager 1 racing, racing far off into space 14.5 billion miles from earth absolutely alone like us when we are old going who knows where or why. As author writes elsewhere looking, searching for the end of the line for us.