Filed under: Books
From Booking Through Thursday: Would you say that you read about the same amount now as when you were younger? More? Less?
Why?
Strange as it is, because it would seem that I would have less time now for reading than I did when I was younger, I currently read more than I ever have. I think that’s because when I was younger, I was in school. And I’m not so far removed to have forgotten just how much work school really is. Unlike the job I currently have, when I was in school I had to take my work home with me. What, with homework and after school activities there never seemed to be enough time for anything else, let alone pleasure reading.
And I grew up in a home with five other younger brothers and sisters – a very small home – so even if I did manage to find a quiet space for reading, it wouldn’t be long before someone was calling my name for something. Additionally, I didn’t have access to as wide a variety of books as I have now (probably a little too much variety), so my reading was pretty sporadic as I searched for something I found to my liking.
Nowadays, my work stays at work, and I live alone, i.e. more reading. No one chides me for spending entire weekends lazing around reading all day, unless it’s my conscience doing the chiding. Once in a while, my biblioguy will throw in a comment or two, but I just ignore him.
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Do you know what I would give to be able to spend the whole weekend lazing around just reading? You are lucky.
Comment by kookiejar November 9, 2007 @ 12:31 pmkookiejar, I count my lucky stars everyday. Especially since I know that it won’t last very long.
P.S. I hope you don’t mind that I moved your comment. This stupid WordPress theme always puts comments on the wrong post. Several angry emails later, still nothing has changed…
Comment by J.S. Peyton November 9, 2007 @ 12:36 pmWhile I don’t get to lounge around the entire weekend I do read more now than I ever have. Part of that is desire, I just didn’t have it before, but part of it is taking advantage of my lunch break at work and the train ride to and from work. Just using that extra time I am able to read quite a bit.
Comment by Matt November 9, 2007 @ 1:11 pmOh, I wish I had the time to read as much as I did as a pre-teen! I used to hole up in my room and devour sci-fi/fantasy and The Hardy Boys and all sorts of lovely books, growling at anyone who dared knock on my door and disturb my escape from the real world. Now I read for an hour or so before bed, which is a pittance in comparison, but I wouldn’t miss it for the world…
Comment by Barb November 10, 2007 @ 12:39 pmMatt, it’s strange because I always have so much free time at work which I could utilize to read, but I am just never able to concentrate. I’ve noticed that I have a hard time concentrating on reading when I’m in public spaces which is why I’ve never been able to read in the park, although I always think it looks fun when others do it. Do you think that your desire to read more is just something that has come with age, or is there a more particular reason why your interest in reading has increased?
Barb, I was the same way! At one point, I personally put a lock on my door so that I could lock it from the inside to keep people from barging in interrupting my reading. And you’re right, one hour of reading is better than no time for reading at all. When I was in college, just thirty minutes of pleasure reading was enough to at least get me by.
Comment by J.S. Peyton November 10, 2007 @ 11:15 pmI find it interesting that you read more now. I read far more, and more widely too, when I was a student. I was fairly introverted and didn’t go out much, so I read all the time.
Now I’m a lot more ’social’, so after work, I’m out having dinner with friends, get back at 10pm (when the shopping malls close) and then relax a bit by chatting with my housemates, sit down at the computer and blog or play around a bit on Facebook for an hour or two…. before you know it, it’s time for bed. Hardly any time for reading!
I could ‘make time’ if I really wanted to, of course. Normally I end up reading late at night into the wee hours of the morning and then suffer the next day!
Comment by irene November 13, 2007 @ 1:31 amI think I probably didn’t read much for enjoyment for many years because I was in school reading textbooks which left me wanting to do other things with my spare time. I graduated 4 years ago now though so I’m not sure why I hadn’t been reading much before that. Maybe I was distracted by my love of video games, which I still play just not as much.
Comment by Matt November 13, 2007 @ 11:33 am