Pursuing one of my vaguely defined retirement plans I set out to read Moby Dick again.

Again!  After downloading a free copy to my Kindle I soon discovered that I had NEVER read Moby Dick the first time.  It is so iconic that I assumed I would start out slow and pick up the pace after things started looking familiar. 

I must have been confusing the book with the movie starring Gregory Peck as Ahab.  No credits listed for the whale.  I may also have read the Classics Comic.  Remember those? 

So the truth is I am not nearly as well read as I thought.  As a result of my pursuit of the white whale I did learn something about Herman Melville.  Most of his writing that was well received during his career was behind him when he wrote Moby Dick. 

My experience has been that Moby Dick may have been the reason for Melville’s professional decline.   I found it also mostly unreadable.  I read it off and on for about six weeks.  I was only a third of the way through.  Melville must have had a contract paying him by the word.  He has an entire chapter on the color white!

I am presently on a Moby Dick break.  Good luck to anyone who sets out.  Keep Mr. Peck in mind.

Recently my wife hosted her “circle”.  In the Presbyterian world this is a group of women with some degree of commonality, i.e. status, age, etc. who meet once a month and discuss things I am not permitted to know and choose not to speculate upon.

My assistance was summoned in the form of cleaning up and making other preparation.  While I was wrestling the vacuum cleaner around I could only think, “While this is not onerous it was not in my retirement agenda.”   I was also persuaded to make coffee and remain in basement until end of activities.