Me, a book, and a Saturday afternoon. My idea of heaven when I was a teen.
I wasn’t the most active kid, although I did ride bikes and roller skate and do a lot of imaginative things outside when I was really young. I ran all over our neighborhood. Mostly by myself since there were not a lot of kids in the immediate area. But, if I am being real, that was mostly just exploring at a slow pace. I was definitely more courageous as a young kid, but ‘active’ was not a good description.
In the fourth grade, my teacher introduced me to reading, and that became my new exploring place. I never realized how much I had been missing by not reading. I read book after book. From “Bunnicula” to “Clan of the Cave Bear”. Judy Bloom books and Choose Your Own Adventure books. I would go looking for books at garage sales and find the most interesting new worlds to explore. And my happy place was in my room, reading a book.
Do you ever feel like you are living life over again to get it right the second time?
I feel like that every day now.
Even though I am an adult and have been for many years, I keep getting the feeling it has all been done before. Like maybe this time around, I will figure out what truly makes me happy.
And I realize things. I love books. Why did I stop reading them?
My new happy place is reading a book when I can. Adults don’t get to spend a whole day reading. There is a responsible life to maintain. So, I read on the treadmill while I walk. I read for 15 min before bed (some nights more).
Every article, every book teaches me something, even cheesy romance. They all contribute to pieces of me. I learn. I go to different places. And I escape the very routine adult life that I am reluctantly living.
For me, this is what adulting reluctantly is all about. I still want to be that kid who is reading all day on Saturday. I don’t want to do the grocery shopping or clean my house. These things are routine. I want to adventure, even if it is in my own room. Someday, I might get the courage to adventure out of the books into real life. Until then, I am going to take a vacation in my mind through my next book.
I can certainly relate. Books are my source of information, entertainment, adventure, and calm. You could call it an addiction, well really it IS an addiction but one I can live with. The challenge is not to get so lost in reading I forget to live. I may never learn moderation in reading but I can strive to stay aware of the world and my place in it.
Thank you for the reminder.
You are so welcome. Thanks for visiting me here. I miss our chats and I miss you. But I always look at what you are reading in Goodreads. You have such a great selection. 🙂