A few friends have asked me how I approach reading. I say it's a one-time encounter with the author's soul.
Whenever I am with someone or reading a book (sometimes the two are synonymous), I ask myself these questions: - What is this person trying to teach me? - How can I be a better listener? Throw your insecurities about dissection and analysis out the window. That is a skill that comes with practice and time, much like throwing a baseball. What the author asks for his reader is to listen. When you listen to a friend, you simply listen. Nitpicking words and over-reading their actions is fruitless and emotionally draining, and eventually, you project your own words into their mouth. I am guilty of this, and so are you. Let's agree to keep our mouths shut. With this in mind, the same goes for reading. Don't spend time postulating on what you think the author is saying, just sit quietly and listen. Then and only then will you hear the roar of deep waters. Being a friend is one of the most beautiful creatures we can be. Henry Dyke agrees with me, "A friend is what the heart needs all the time." Be a friend to the writer. Listen to his words and his heart strumming in his chest. Once you go to bed, you'll realize you weren't listening to his heart under your ear, but reading words on a page.
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