You’re so focused on the ever-present uncertain and chaotic reality of the day, that you forget how wonderful it can be to steep yourself in the magic of books.
Reading offers an escape from your current thoughts. Thoughts of the drawn-out election, fears and uncertain hope about the new vaccines coming out, isolation and loneliness from family and friends as the holiday season approaches and our routines and celebrations are upended.
It isn’t only fiction that can carry your away. Biographies of scientists and innovators, from Marie Curie to Jonas Salk to Steve Jobs, men and women who have changed the world and the way you can expect to live your life. History, poetry, travel, cooking, psychology, the list goes on. What is interesting to you that you’d like to discover?
Ironically, you need to be alone to read but which the pandemic provides in spades. You can curl up on your couch under a blanket, lie by the fire, snuggle in bed after the kids finally go to sleep. Don’t forget about you! You don’t need to scroll through your phone for the latest Instagram trend. You don’t need to keep up with Facebook or watch kids twitch and twerk on Tik Tok and you certainly don’t need any more news or work emails. They can all wait until tomorrow.
What you do need is some quiet from the thoughts that clamor in your head. What you do need is to own your present life. The anxiety clanging and demanding attention can be put to rest as you pick up your book or e-reading device. Hungry to read or languidly flipping through the pages, illustrations, photos, etc. It doesn’t matter.
What does matter is your engagement with the subject matter. What have you been captivated by but never felt you had the time? What are you curious about that you’d like to learn? Where can you escape to? Fantasy, sci-fi, penetrating literary fiction or non-fiction. They’re all out there for you to discover.
Happy reading!!