What do you think about ?

I’m a fan of Lawrence Block – writer of mystery stories – and especially of his Matt Scudder character. Scudder is an ex-cop turned private detective, and a recovering alcoholic.

He gives away a tenth of his fees, usually putting the money in collection boxes in churches, and usually catholic churches, because they tend to be open all the time.

In one of his short stories, he goes to church to think. “After breakfast, I went to St Paul’s but there was a service going on, a priest saying Mass, so I didn’t stay. I walked down to St Benedict the Moor’s on 53rd Street and sat for a few minutes in a pew at the rear. I go to churches to try and think, and I gave it a shot, but my mind didn’t know where to go. I slipped six twenties in the poor box. I tithe. It’s a habit I got into when I left the department, and I still don’t know why I do it. God knows. Or maybe he’s as mystified as I am.”

Reading that – a phrase popped into my mind. ‘What do you think ?’ Not, as in what’s your opinion, but what do you think about ….

I guess for many of us, we just don’t. Think, that is. We are so busy that we get through with the minimum of thinking.

So .. I’m going to try and spend a bit more time just thinking. No T.V. No book. No people. Just me, thinking.