Gone In 60 Seconds

I used to read a lot of books.
I was an English major in college and prided myself on being up to the minute on classic literature, poetry and current popular fiction. When my children were young I joined a book club, as many women do for the socializing, wine and seriously, some intellectual discussion. The women were all well educated and I found the monthly meeting a real bright spot in my month.

But then life happened. I got busy, the kids got busier, I started my own business, I volunteered and I got tired. I would settle into bed with a cup of coffee (yes, real coffee) and begin to read. Then, gone in sixty seconds. I was asleep. How come I could get through ten novels in 10 weeks when I was in college and I couldn't even get through one book in a month? I tried to keep up with the book group and it worked for awhile. I was getting three quarters of the way through the book and was still able to participate in the lively exchanges. Then I was getting through half of the book, then a quarter of the way and finally, I was seriously faking it. I dropped out of the group citing a growing business and the need to read books on business, organizing, time management, etc. It was partly true but really I had just given up on the whole reading thing.

Most of my reading from then on was done on the fly, a shelter magazine here or there, the paper every morning if I got up early enough and the fliers that came home in my kids backpacks. That was it, that was the extent of my "literature." I became an embarrassed ex-English major. I missed reading and I wanted it back but there was no time in my life to sit and just read. Reading was for leisure, for pleasure, for vacations and I felt guilty not "doing" something. Then it hit me, I had a time management problem. I wasn't making time for reading and if it was important enough for me to feel guilty about it then I needed to make it a priority. I did just that.

I discovered books on CD and it opened up a whole new way of reading for me. I thought, how many hours a day was I in the car driving kids, driving to clients? I could listen to a book in the car! That's how it all started. Then I realized I could capture a few hours here and there throughout the day and read while doing household chores or making dinner. All of a sudden I was looking forward to weeding the garden and trimming the wisteria because I had Detective Lynley or Kinsey Millhone with me. By thinking outside the box I made room in my life for reading again. What are you leaving out of your life that is important to you? My next goal; get an iPod. My fifteen year old daughter just rolls her eyes at me as I carry around a portable CD player in a fanny pack. Yeah, it is a little embarrassing but I'm reading.

ciao,
Ellen