I Love Borrowing Books, But I Don't Read Them
Whenever I visit the library, my hand instinctively reaches for books. "This looks interesting," "That might be useful." In that moment, it feels like I've formed a good connection.
But when I get home, all that greets me is a towering pile of unread books. Their spines seem to plead, "Open me soon," yet not a single page is turned. As the return deadline approaches, I find myself quietly murmuring, "Sorry..." as I head back to the library.
This Time, It Was Shogi Books
This time, I borrowed books about Shogi:
- Tobe-ryu's Distinctive Gokigen Nakabisha
- Step-by-Step Guide to Sente Nakabisha
- Super Illustrated Guide to Winning Shogi by Yoshiharu Habu
The reason was simple. I remembered someone once saying, "It's better to focus on Nakabisha until you reach the first dan," and I occasionally watch Tobe-sensei's videos on YouTube.
However, I've always had a lukewarm impression of Nakabisha. "It's monotonous," "It feels like a trap," "The king is exposed..." I thought. Still, I believed that opening the books might change my perspective.
Result? I didn't open a single one.
The Moment I Decided to Return Them, I Felt Lighter
One day, I realized that holding onto these unread books wasn't helping. Instead, the "guilt of borrowing without reading" was piling up. So, I decided to return all the library books.
The moment I made that decision, even before tidying up my desk, I felt lighter. Then, I chose to focus on the Kindle version of Hitome no Nakabisha and some tsumeshogi books (3-move and 5-move puzzles) I had at home.
A Simple 15-Minute Daily Shogi Routine
What I did was simple:
- Solve tsumeshogi puzzles
- Look at just three Nakabisha positions
It didn't matter if I couldn't solve them. If I made a mistake, I thought, "Oh, that's how it's played," and moved on.
I realized that the important thing wasn't the "quantity" but the "consistency."
The Bond of Unread Books
Escaping the pile of unread books meant concentrating on the few things I had at hand. Once the books I was supposed to read disappeared from my sight, tsumeshogi and Kindle naturally filled the gap.
Come to think of it, the books I encountered at the library and those still stacked up were all brought to me by fate. But if I don't use them, that connection fades away. Only through the act of reading does that bond become part of me and move my heart.
Unread books give a sense of security, but if left unread, they don't contribute to knowledge or skill. Both my desk and my heart need occasional "return dates."
By doing so, I can make the next move.
日本語版note：積み本からの脱出記 〜図書館本と中飛車と私〜
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