For the past three years, Harper and I owned a little bookshop in Maleny QLD. Where I worked I should say slaved away seven days a week making sure I served every customer just like my hero Bernard from Black Books so graciously did (he he he), however, enough of that, as of the 1st December 2022 we sold it to a lovely lady whom we trust will take this beautiful little place and make it her own.
So for the month of December, I essentially took that time off to spend time with my bride and to prepare for a solo journey of self-discovery, reading, writing, and maybe growing a little too. Despite owning a bookshop, I am a relatively slow reader, especially if you compare myself to Harper who can read a book a day, I’m more like a book a week at best.
Knowing this, I selected six books I really wanted to read during January…
- On Being Nice: A Guide to Friendship and Connection by The School of Life
- Memory Palaces and Masonic Lodges: Esoteric Secrets of the Art of Memory by Charles B. Jameux
- The Secret School of Wisdom: The Authentic Rituals and Doctrines of the Illuminati edited by Josef Wages and Reinhard Markner
Proposed Journey
4. Belief and Brotherhood by Revd Neville Barker Cryer
5. The Hermetic Art of Memory: A Compendium of The Shadow of Reason and Judgement & Thamus – The Virtue of Memory by Alexander Dicsone
6. The Practicing Stoic by Ward Farnsworth
There are so many books I could have chosen, however, I chose these for specific reasons, some are to try to be a better person, although I’m not convinced I really want to be, just being honest. Some are to develop my skills in memory so I can be better at discharging my duties within the lodge and some are for general interest.
It may sound odd to you perhaps that the slogan of Freemasonry is “Making good men better” yet I just stated that I am not sure I want to be a better person, I am what would be called by Myers Briggs (INFP) an introverted extrovert as I am on the extroverted side of the pendulum. If I were on the introvert side, I’d be an extroverted introvert, the dominant for me is the extrovert. INFP personality types make up for only about 5% of the world’s population, so we’re kinda rare (and thus can be annoying, I get the feeling people find me so anyway).
For the most part, I don’t care because I like myself, who I am, and what I stand for. Some areas I know I absolutely suck at, for eg: I am conscientious to the point of occasionally displaying a messiah complex, I love helping people, yet I never volunteer for things, and I am very insular when it comes to community service. Philanthropic adventures, yes, If you ask me for money, my car, shirt off my back, or anything really, I am all in, but raising money at the local Bunnings for some cause, count me out baby. Perhaps one could say that I’d hand over anything I possess, but not my time, as my time is my most precious possession, and if we’re being real, I have no idea how much of it I actually have.
Anyway, that’s what I think. So I guess you’re thinking also what thought just came into my head, maybe I need to learn to be generous with my time, then I am truly giving. Meh, let’s get back to the books.
As I finish a book, I will write what I learned from it, but also where I read it and maybe how I am travelling.
I look forward to this journey, although I am not keen on the weather forecast, some days are predicted to be nearly 40 degrees Celsius. blah!
Enjoy
Ian