Don Quixote

  The other day I finished reading Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes.  My overall impression:  it's a pretty long book.  And it feels long.  I read it on the Kindle, so I don't know exactly how long it is, but it's close to 1,000 pages, and there are a lot of side stories in it, so it's frustrating because it feels like it could be easily condensed into a much shorter novel.  But I endured to the end, and I'm glad to say that I have read it.
 
  While there isn't much about the nitty-gritty details that stick with me, the overall theme of the book fascinates me.  Don Quixote spends so much time reading tales about knights that he becomes convinced that he, too, is knight, to the point that he leaves his old life behind and goes out into the streets to live as a knight, inventing gallant adventures that often involve him attacking innocents unaware because he has convinced himself that there is something far more nefarious going on.  It's painful to read at times, simply because Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, his faithful squire, end up embarrassing themselves time after time after time.

  And yet, there is something inherently noble about Quixote's quest.  He has this strong urge to make a noble impression, to engage his life in a fight for chivalry and justice.  He longs to be involved in a larger struggle, to fight for good and aid those in need.  This urge is so strong and often so mis-directed that he goes beyond the bounds of common sense, but I can't help but be inspired in a way by his passion for living a noble life.  He wants to contribute to the greater good with such energy that he convinces himself that every encounter is an opportunity to do some grand deed for another.

  It's easy to disregard Quixote as a quack who doesn't recognize his small place in the world.  It's much harder to struggle with the idea that it's worth striving for a noble life and sacrificing for the good of others.  There is obviously wisdom in paying attention to the voice of reason and not attacking innocent bystanders and windmills, but perhaps it is wise for me to examine my own life and see if I don't too easily discard the paths of those who seek noble causes, criticizing them from my comfort rather than seeking the betterment of the world, even if embarking on such a journey may raise criticism from others.