Studying Newton on a rainy morning

A dark and rainy morning, yet not gloomy. I'm snug at my table. A cool breeze blows through the balcony doorway. People huddle beneath their umbrellas down below in the street. They appear as walking mushrooms.

I've been studying Newton's Principia since I left my cozy bed at 5 AM. I measure progress on Newton in inches of text studied per hour. Many times it takes several hours to study a foot of text.

I look at the clock, realize I've lost track of time this morning, and also realize I have not gotten very far with my Newton studies even though I've applied myself diligently. I'm not embarrassed by my slow progress. I think of the best minds of Newton's time struggling to span the breadth and plumb the depth of his thought. It would be folly and vanity to say one such as I can keep up with one of the greatest minds of all time.

I can see my Newton studies will require a niche of time each day to travel another few inches of text. Understanding Newton is really not a project designed for me, so ignorant and slow. Curiosity, however, drives me forward.

And what shall I gain from this? Certainly not a coin. When I am dead and forgotten, no one will remember me let alone the fact that I studied Newton on this deliciously beautiful rainy day.