This morning I found myself with time between the end of my AA meeting at 9:30 and a social Zoom call at noon. Some time, but really not enough time to go for the long bike ride that typically fills the late Saturday morning slot. Also, given that I was running on the track late yesterday, reminding my legs and cardiovascular system that they could sustain somewhat higher speeds for longer periods of time, I think it imprudent to go for a long bike ride now.
So I had some time to kill, and the monkey quickly attacked my brain. What to do? When searching for guidance on this question, I often refer back to the quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes that Robert Caro cited somewhere, and which I have probably mangled for my own purposes (Google can't find it): "The only thing that matters is energy."
For the most part I interpret this as a blanket endorsement of enthusiasm and continuation in some sort of well-intended endeavor. But surely there must be some qualitative weighting on the allocation of energy in one way or another. I.e. it must matter somewhat how we allocate our energy.
Which returns me to the question of input vs. output. Read or write?* My friend Blue once made the valid point that if you are reading, you aren't writing, but given the number of readers I have the universe isn't too terribly injured if I'm not writing. I just have to make my quotas.
* Certainly the more practical items on my task list, i.e. "sharpen knives" or "caulk shower" aren't particularly viable contenders for my attention on a Saturday morning. That kinda shit just ain't happening.
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