Being an avid reader is not such a good thing, as I've written before. I wrote that post more than four years ago, but things are still the same, more or less.
I went on a reading frenzy for a while (book reviews coming up) - it lasted three months or so - and I read as if there was no tomorrow.
Then, suddenly, I stopped reading. Not a conscious decision, though. For ten days or more, I didn't read anything. Well, that's not technically correct - I did read one book, but very little of it. And then I discovered a whole new me.
I crocheted part of a sweater for Puttachi. I worked on her costume for her school day. I finished five 500-piece jigsaw puzzles and realized how much I LOVE doing them. Puttachi and I got together and churned out loads of art and craft things - initially deriving inspiration from blogs, and later discovering our own store of ideas. I made delicious naan, perfected baking whole-wheat bread (with dollops of help from S), and tried a whole lot of new recipes. I started walking in the park every morning after dropping Puttachi to school. I called old friends and got back in touch with them. I took refreshing and restoring naps in the afternoon. I caught a movie or two on television - alone - and this is something totally unlike me (or so I thought.)
I lived in the present - I was totally there, in each moment. And that was a whole new sensation.
And I liked this part of me. This part of my life that lay dormant.
Is it really worth it, this passion for reading? The pleasure reading gives me is immeasurable. But all these things that also give me so much joy - and satisfaction - is it worth giving up all that?
And once again I make the resolution to strike that balance between reading and the other interests in my life.
P.S. This was written about a month ago. Now I'm back to my regular reading habits - though not with that much intensity - and I'm lovin' it.
3 comments:
Loved the post...being a bookworm myself, I readily recognize the need to moderate the time spent reading and sparing more attention to the other interests in one's life !
This post resonates a lot with me. There are a million things out there to do. On certain days, I get so engrossed in reading that the house remains the war zone it was when father and daughter have left for the day. There are things I want to make for A, but I tell myself that I'll do them when I finish 'this book' that I'm reading. It never ends. Should take a keen look at myself too. You're so right-"living in the now."
And hey, its good to have you back!
just loved ur post and yes u have to balance ur likes with that of other things like puttachi S and ..... keep going continue writing
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