Sid Bellad’s Literary Odessey

It’s a routine Sunday in Dr.Siddaramaiah Bellad’s house. Siddaramaiah better known as Sid to his family and close friends, perches  in his favourite armchair, watching mindless movies or binge watch some BBC serials. But this day he was surveying the veritable fortress of books that had taken up residence in his study. The towering stacks seemed to mock him, their unread spines whispering tales of professional prowess and profound wisdom yet to be absorbed.

As he shuffled through the notes and articles bookmarked on his browser, he sighed deeply. His wife, Saraswathy, looked up from her knitting, her eyebrows arching in concern.

“Sid, dear,” she said, her voice as gentle as a summer breeze whispering through a sandpapered wall, “you seem troubled. What’s on your mind?”

Sid rubbed his temples, feeling the weight of his intellectual aspirations bearing down on him. “It’s this confounded pile of unread books and articles, my dear. They loom over me like the sword of Damocles, each one a testament to my perceived failure.”

Sara ( as Saraswathy is better known) looked over a knitting and her spectacles to give Sid a saccharine sympathetic smile, “ You do dramatize well … anyway what brought this on?”

Leaning back as his mind swirled through the thoughts of Nicholas Carr and information overload he replied, “You see, it’s not a failure of filtering, but a success of it, as Carr would say. My filters have let in so much valuable information that I’m now drowning in it.”

Saraswathy chuckled.  “Well, perhaps you need to approach it differently. Instead of seeing it as a burden, why not view it as an opportunity?”

“An opportunity?” Sid echoed, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes,” she replied. “Prioritize what truly matters. Not every book or article is equally important. Start small, read a chapter or an article at a time, and celebrate each little victory.”

Sid pondered her words, a smile slowly spreading across his face. “You know, you might be onto something. It’s not about the quantity of books I read, but the quality and the insights I gain.”

Saraswathy nodded. “Exactly. Define what success means to you. Is it knowledge, enjoyment, or personal growth? Let go of the guilt about unread material. It’s impossible to read everything, but each piece of knowledge you absorb is a success.”

Sid felt a weight lift off his shoulders. “You’re right, as always. This backlog represents potential learning and growth. I need to embrace it with curiosity and see it as a journey rather than a chore.”

Saraswathy smiled warmly. “That’s the spirit. And remember, success lies in the process, not just in ticking off items on a list.”

“Haa!” sighed Sid, it was moment of epiphany the famous “Eureka’ moment of Aristotle, or the ‘aha moment’ of the new age guru. Sid looked at the pile of books, there was tremendous freedom with the guilt off his shoulder.

He could have Don Quixote battling the windmills, a knight embarking on a quest – determined, optimistic and ever so slightly whimsical. The target was his literary fortress, and all it took was a simple call to local library and his precious unread books, with their spines intact found a new home.