Column: enjoy the page you're on
When it comes to fiction books, there are two types of readers in this world: fast-food readers and fine-dining readers.
Fast-food readers read books mainly for the plot. They frequently skim over pages and the minutiae, quickly forget about the characters and are satisfied with simply acquiring the gist of a story. Impatient to find out what happens next, they flip to the last few pages before completely finishing the novel.
Fine-dining readers take time to digest the details of a story. They become involved with the main characters and persevere through every chapter—even the difficult ones. For these readers, skipping to the last chapter prematurely is like eating dessert before the hors d’oeuvres—it’s sacrilegious.
Often we approach life the same way we approach reading. In our college years especially, we can become so intent on getting to the next chapter of our lives that we disregard the ordinary details of everyday life. We become so consumed with the “plot,” the big events in our lives—college graduation, finding a job, marriage—that we neglect the opportunities of the present. Focusing on the upcoming pages, our immediate and future plans, we ignore the little details that fill up the pages of our life.
I’m not saying we should never make plans. I’m not telling you to throw your day planners, like caution, to the wind.
Plans are essential, and what we do after graduation is serious. But we shouldn’t neglect the present. We shouldn’t ignore the people around us because the future—both immediate and long-term—weighs heavily on our minds.
We should live in the present, fully aware of others and always ready to minister to those around us. When you look back after your college days have come to an end, chances are your outstanding memory won’t be about your fretting over the next page in your planner.
The future is important—but then, so are people and the memories that we create with them.
The next chapter of your life will be here before you know it. One day, you’ll come to the end of the book known as your life. You’ll want to have lived your life in a way that shows you took time to serve others, that you enjoyed every detail, every chapter of your life.
Be a fine-dining reader. Savor the simple, everyday things in life—a sunny day, a steaming cup of coffee, a random note from a friend.
Enjoy the details. Treat each day of life like the gift that it is. Cherish the people you’re with today.
Strive to enjoy the page that you’re on.
