Failure, Inspiration, and My Reading Experience in 2018

My reading resolution taught me a lot, and it came right down to the wire…

I could hear the fireworks relentlessly popping outside the window. The celebration had begun, and the clock in the hallway sealed things as it rang in the new hour and with it a new year. You’d think I’d be joining in the celebration. But no, the fireworks felt like they were mocking me instead.

I was sitting in a chair with a book in hand. Reading is something I enjoy thoroughly, but even it seemed to be mocking me in that moment too. Everything seemed to be mocking me.

You see, I began 2018 with a reading goal of 20 books. Last year when I wrote the previous version of this post, I had the same goal but had fallen short by reading only 14. I decided to keep my reading goal at 20, and I entered the final day of the year having read 19 books. I brought Michelle Obama’s new memoir Becoming with us on our trip out to see Sarah’s brother, sister-in-law, and our new baby niece. It was to be my final read of the year. With the clock winding down on 2018, I still hadn’t finished the book.

Finally, after reading for almost the entire evening, I finished the book. But the fireworks had already died down, and the clock had finished chiming. I looked at the…