When did you last read a book?

This may seem like an odd question to those who have a stack of books by the bed or on the coffee table, but for me it was quite a tricky question to answer. What sort of book? A woo woo type book with a shamanic thread? Something by Deepak Chopra, Alice Hoffman or Eckhart Tolle maybe? Or are we talking an actual novel?

If it’s a novel, then I can’t actually remember. How terrible is that? Well, I can remember, I’m just ashamed to tell you! It was the last Harry Potter, and that’s not the spin off, I mean the last one of the story! So how many years ago was that? If it’s a woo woo style book, then I have several on the go, where I can dip in and out.

Was I right to feel stupid?

I used to feel quite inadequate, and even a bit stupid, when I saw books stacked on friends coffee tables, and during dinner parties they would say, ‘Ooooooh, something great I’m reading at the moment…..’

It’s the same when people ask me if I have seen a play or a film and it’s something I’ve never heard of. In my younger days I would feel so inarticulate to some respect, and I would be too embarrassed to say that I didn’t know what they were talking about.

Age changes things.

Now I just say. It’s like when someone is talking about Radio Four. No, I don’t listen to it. I’m a Radio Two girl. I don’t really care what they think. It’s a fact. I wish I had spoken up earlier, and not been afraid to say that I didn’t know what books they were talking about. Now I just say that I have no idea. If it’s not my thing, then it’s not my thing. Every body is different.

I always have good intentions.

Every year when we go skiing, I take two books. They are the same two books. Just in case we can’t ski then I have something to do. Well, that never happens. The not being able to ski sometimes happens, but I’m more likely to reach for the iPad and ‘chat’ on social media than pick up a book, if we have nothing to do. One year we took the box set of Breaking Bad and watched two series during the holiday rather than reading. We had time to watch what everyone had been talking about, so we did. It was our choice as we actually had time together to catch up.

The other day I walked into Waterstones and smelt the books. Swiftly bringing back heady childhood memories, of sitting on the wooden floors of The Dragon Bookshop in Taunton, deciding what books to buy with my birthday money. Today, I had no idea where to start looking. These days I purchase through Amazon, like many other people, but it felt so much better going into a book store.

The sad thing was, I actually popped in to get the photo for this blog, but when I walked in I was seduced by the smell and the piles of books. I needed time to look and I wasn’t really in the mood. After all, I have two unread books still here from last years ski trip, so perhaps I should dust those off first.

Have we been taken over by computers and Face Book?

Times change, and computers and social media have made their way in to our lives. Kindles and iPads for reading books are much easier to carry when travelling, but nothing beats the feel of a real book. I read, but I read for knowledge of the subject I am interested in, like nutrition and healing. My spare time is spent on here, writing things to share because I enjoy it.

I could pick up a book to read in between clients, but I choose to press my phone instead, and see what’s happening on there. Although, in my defence, I do have messages to answer and notifications to respond to. The trouble is, it’s very easy to start scrolling, and before I realise, I’ve spend far too long looking at nothing in particular. A problem for many of you I’m sure.

I have set an intention.

So, I have made a start and removed the last book I was given from the cupboard by the bed. I doubt I will read in bed. For me, a bed is for sleeping, not reading. I may take it to salon to read in between clients, but then there is always a cupboard to tidy or client records to complete…..

Or Face Book messages to check!

I will report on my progress!

#stupidity #intelligence #breakingbad #novels #education #books #mindfulness