Have you ever looked at someone’s bookcase? You can tell a lot about someone by what they read. I have three. Three bookcases I mean. One is part of an old desk in our living room and another attaches to the desk in my office. There are books by Churchill, C.S. Lewis, Shaara, McCullogh, Tolkien and Josephus. The 52 volume Great Books is spread across several shelves. The third is pretty large. It covers one wall in my office. It has more books and one special shelf where I keep my writing gear, leather bookmarks, and journals.
I suppose I have fifteen different journals. There are Moleskines, leather bound, passport and a couple rustic looking one’s. I use them for meditation, daily journaling, book reviews, meeting notes and writing ideas. Some have traveled quite a bit. They’ve been to Europe, the UK, India, and the U.S. Some are stained, ripped, and scribbled in. That’s what happens when you have young grandkids.
I usually write with a fountain pen. That’s my “writing gear”. I have a lot of pens but use 3 or 4 regularly. I bought my first fountain pen, a Waterman Phileas, in a store in Hamburg, Germany about 20 years ago. It’s my ‘go-to’ pen. Recently I spent three days in solitude. Me, at a Franciscan retreat center with some books, fountain pens, a couple journals and my thoughts.
I spent hours roughing out some articles I’m working on. Articles about what I think are tough spiritual issues like, “who created God”. One of my granddaughters asked me that question and I’m trying to put thoughts on paper to help her understand. I also journaled about my life. You know, reflections on who I am, what I’ve accomplished, my spirituality and future aspirations.
I think the older I get the more I think about where I’ve been and what I’ve done. You can tell a lot about someone by what they read. And in my case, by what they write. What’s on your bookcase?
The Chronicles of Egydyus Flombosi 