Monday, May 23, 2011

Books Galore...and my dream job.

A few years ago I distinctly remember making fun of our friend Pat for having a half dozen half-read books around his room. This came up specifically because he was still only half way through the second or third book of Stephen King's Dark Tower, and I couldn't believe he hadn't finished reading it yet. What I couldn't believe even more was that someone could start reading a book, while still having another book unfinished. WHAT?! This made no sense to me...I just didn't see the logic in starting another book when you still hadn't finished another one.

Here I am, a few years later...and here's where I'm at:
  • Currently reading In Defense of Food, page 160 of 201
  • The White Man's Burden, I'm about half way through...partially lost interest, partially found more exciting things to read (it's a little dense for me, but I plan on finishing it up soon-ish)
  • Half the Sky, about two-thirds of the way through--great read, and probably would've finished it by now if I hadn't gotten distracted by the first book on this list.
Not to mention all the books I already have a list of that I want to read next:
  • Letters from Burma was a Christmas present from my brother in law and his wife, and I'm really looking forward to that
  • The Idea of Justice by Amartya Sen
  • Uses of Haiti by Paul Farmer (not sure I can actually make my way through this one, but I want to try)
  • Hope in Hell: Inside the World of Doctors Without Borders
  • Poor Economics
  • Armed Humanitarians: the Rise of the Nation Builders
  • Stranger Things Happen (short stories)
  • Getting Better: Why Global Development is Succeeding--and How we Can Improve the World Even More
So much to read, so little time.

Which brings me to something I've been thinking about quite a bit lately--and of which I'd like to write a longer blog someday, but that hasn't happened yet so here's the short and sweet of it all. What do I want to be when I grow up? Honestly? I want to get paid to research and write (um, not sure blogging is "writing" per se...) about things I'm interested in (I have a never ending list of things I want to write about on this blog, but some are subjects I actually want to research and write something half intelligently about, alas the time is seriously lacking), and I want to get paid to do the kind of volunteer work I really enjoy doing, ranging from hands on stuff like going to Mexico and building houses, to more office/admin/legal stuff like helping non profits get incorporated, grant-writing, fundraising, etc. I just need to figure out how I can get paid to do those things :)

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