As always, let’s start with the numbers …

• Physical Comics Read: 6 (48/89)
• Digital Comics Read: 0 (418/435)
• Trades/Graphic Novels Read: 0 (0/0)
• Books Read: 2 (78/93)
• Movies Watched: 1 (206/209)
• TV Shows Watched: 0 (52/52)
• TV Seasons Watched: 0 (96/96)
• Podcast Episodes to Listen to: 76

You ever have times when reading something feels like you’re swimming against a current? That was so much of this month for me. I’d finished a book that I was reading for Required Reading and picked up another, and that book just took forever to finish. It might be a bit of fatigue and we all get that; it’s good to remember that you can take breaks. Unfortunately, breaks for me are often mindlessly scrolling and that is a different problem altogether.

So, where are we on the intentions, then?

Intention #1: Buy Nothing Old. Well, if you read my “Cheat Days” post a couple of weeks ago, you know that May was FCBD and therefore I took a little bit of a hiatus from this intention. I’m reading through some of those comics now and once school ends on Friday, I’m going to re-inventory and cull some more comics. It will officially update my numbers. So far, though, the comics purchased have been solid reads. I don’t know how many I am keeping, though.

Intention #2: Set a “Shortbox Limit” for my Comics. Criiinge. This has just not happened so far this year. I did mention that I’m doing another inventory of my comics, so maybe I’ll actually get to the point where my books are all contained and not stacked on top of already filled shortboxes. I probably should also look at my back issue want list and really figure out what I want to own versus what I really don’t need anymore.

Intention #3: Focus on Experiences. You know, even a date night–a movie followed by dinner–can be a fun experience, and I can’t believe I’d forgotten that. Well, not forgotten it per se, but with life being so busy and the world falling apart on a seemingly daily basis, it sometimes feels selfish to want to do a normal couple thing and also seems ignorant and insensitive to not be constantly on guard or attentive to everything all the time. But then I think about how this paralysis in life is not helping me nor anyone. God, I’m tired of anxiety.

Intention #4: Consciously Reduce. Well, I’m not conspicuously consuming as much as I had been. I’m getting some donations ready and have been off-loading some of my books and comics when I don’t need them. It’s, as always, slower than I imagined it would be and I’m trying to teach myself some patience.

Intention #5: Keep Myself Honest. Still doing this and still making a good effort to make sure that I straighten out whenever I hit a speed bump. It’s important to make sure that my “recovery time” is shorter every time I fall out of habit or routine.