Holidays are a fantastic time to catch up with your reading.
In my case, I only took one physical book to Menorca. The rest (194) were on a tablet.
I didn’t have any goals this time. In fact, I spent more time writing and drawing than I did reading. But when I did read, I didn’t default to the latest best seller that adorns every bookstore.
It’s not that I’m some old curmudgeon but, rather, I’m precious about my time and want to use it to fill in the missing pieces of my education and expand my mind.
I know this might sound pompous but it’s just that I can’t switch off sufficiently to read something where I come out the other end thinking “nice story but what’s the point?”
I wouldn’t describe myself as an avid reader, unlike my brother who can easily devour a book a day. That’s not to say I read slowly, but I need something that I feel is taking me to another place – to alter my consciousness or state of being.
Too few books meet that criteria. One that comes to mind is The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. Poetry on the hand, particularly Bukowski and Armitage, seem always leave me wanting more; and asking more questions than provide answers.
This isn’t a post to persuade you to put down your latest best seller but merely to make the point that reading offers one of the few opportunities to change our thinking and circumstances.
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