No Coffee, Day Three

I mentioned in the preceding post that I'm restructuring my routine. What this restructure amounts to is an embargo against all coffee seeking access to my system. To a lesser extent, it also has the effect of keeping me out of cafes.

Now, considering that I spend a great deal of time in cafes either reading or writing or (all too often) talking to people/people-watching, why would spending less time in them result in a new routine that is more beneficial to my reading and writing? The answer, of course, is the elimination of the third item on the above list: talking to people.

David Foster Wallace comments on the creepiness of writers in one of the essays in his recent collection Consider the Lobster, which is a great book. Writers, he notes, do this creepy thing where they tend to stare at other people in public places. Writers have to observe other people to learn about their mannerisms, the way they look, etc. I do a tremendous amount of this when I'm in public places. I can't help it. I also am a horrible eavesdropper. An interesting question to think about is, do I observe people because I am a writer, or do I write because I have a deep fascination with the ways in which people interact?

Now, for the problem: when I should be reading or writing, I am watching people. It's a little like Attention Deficit Disorder.

So, what do I need? I need a place to play with language that is free of distractions. No such place seems to exist. I need an office. But, at least for now, that's a pipe dream, so I need a chewing gum, duct tape, and paperclip sort of solution. Maybe the library?

The search is on!