Choose Strong
For Tim.
The rain came early this year and had wet most Thanksgiving long weekend.
Outside it was cold and miserable. Indoors, however, I was elated
to find a new project: to read the 2000+ pages of the fourth edition of The
American Heritage Dictionary. I have switched to apps and online dictionaries
for many years only to make this discovery. It made me wonder: if I had been forced
to only use this dictionary, would the revelation still come? Is that the Tao again?
The hefty volume acquired a long time ago (It must be older than Tim.) has never
failed to kindle a fire in me anytime I allowed myself to stare at it for a short while.
"Have you ever stood and stared at it, and
marvelled at its beauty, its genius?" (The Matrix)
Think about it. The entire human experience from one amalgamated civilization
is encoded in it. It is unlikely that there is not a word for anything my senses
tell me, be it an item, an animal, a particular thought, a special sentiment,
etc. It is a goldmine and I have to own it.
I made a few similar attempts in the past and failed due to lack of either
discipline or a practicing mindset. Looking up a word this morning, I was
struck by the idea that it would not be different from my 30min morning exercise
routine. If I could do yoga and weight-lifting daily, why not try to attack the
dictionary the same way?
If I cover two pages a day, it'll take roughly 1037 (assuming 2074 pages) days.
So I will be able to finish in about two years and 10 months. A more relaxed
and meaningful finish-line would be July 2023, around my 50th birthday.
After that, what is going to happen? I don't know exactly but I expect wonderful
things. An inner triumph that boosts confidence and a keener sense of language
that allows better expression and appreciation would be well worth it, not to
mention doors leading to discoveries. Doors I don't know existing. Rarely I will
get stumped when I read. But when I look up a word, it will be more likely a
reunion where we don't have to break the ice.
But what about just setting up an example for Tim? I don't need to say anything.
I'll just read some everyday in front of him. 不言之教, so to speak. If I ask him
to stay away from the screen, at least I should show that I could do it.
As if taking a cue, the very next day, the Menlo Park library Home page showed
the "Reading the OED: One Man, One Year, 21,730 pages." by Ammon Shea and I
pounced on it. The guy spent an entire year sitting on his ass going through 10
times the size I was planning. What an inspiration! Among the words he found
interesting, I recognized only "iatrogenics" which I learnt from Taleb.
