Reading for October 6, 2026

I read 20 pages of Little Men aloud in 34 minutes to lull my littlest to sleep. We read the chapter about the willow tree, in which Dan and Demi had a fascinating discussion about how Demi organizes his thoughts and keeps his vices in check.

Demi described his mind as a large circular room with many drawers for thoughts and knowledge. A small spirit—his conscience—lives in the room. He directs it, but it is very naughty and often has a mind of its own. He takes his badness and locks it far and deep away with the best locks, yet the badness still gets out.

At night, Demi plays with his thoughts and ideas. At the end of each week, he tidies his room and organizes everything into its proper place.

I was blown away by this analogy. It was brilliant.