Ryōme ga aku

[quarrel]

The Japanese have a tradition of painting in one eye of a little round daruma doll when they start an endeavor, then painting the other when they accomplish their goal. They call this ryōme ga aku, which means “both eyes come open”, or me ga deta, “the dice pips (a.k.a. ‘eyes’) are out”.

I finished a book yesterday.

It took me more than a day to remember the last time that happened, and I’m still not positive I’m recalling it correctly. Not counting graphic novels, I think it was a Doctor Who young adult novella, about two years ago. Before that may have been The Clock of the Long Now half a dozen years before that.

I’ve started books, yes. The Black Hole War. How to Win Friends and Influence People. Chindi. They all sit somewhere between 50% and 80% finished, and have for over a year. (Hell, the one I just finished was a 2011 Christmas present.) And after those I still have half a dozen others in the queue.

I’m not a reader yet. I doubt I’ll ever be the sort who averages a novel and a half a week, like half my close friends are. But I have another eye open now.

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(image by tailstream @ flickr, used under Creative Commons license)