Despite the past two weeks being the busiest of my year so far (six day working weeks: part 14 hour waitressing shift, part an unpaid intern in the city) I have read three books. Despite having deadlines coming out of my ears, conferences to attend and catching up with distant friends I appear to have read more voraciously in the past few weeks than I have since I was at school.
And I think I know why. I’m by no means even close to being a psychologist (even in the pop sense of the word) but I am quite in tune with my own emotions. By checking in every day I found that the best bits, despite really enjoying my internship, were the parts of the commute when I could read and the quiet reflective moments I could afford. In a normal, busy, but less hectic week I often don’t make time to sit in the quiet with my book but it was an integral part of my crazy busy, pretty stressful days. I could use clichés till your ears fell out but the one I think is most apt is that reading for me has been an oasis of calm for the past fortnight.
During the week I can often find myself being semi lazy, turning on some TV in the early evening and not working as much as I feel I should. However, when I do that my brain doesn’t fully disengage and often I get distracted and get back to doing something career or university related. As a result television doesn’t offer the same escapism as a book does for me.
Similarly, during the week I will often meet up with coursemates or flatmates for drinks/lunch/coffee/whatever. Although they are all sweet, lovely, wonderful people, they are new friends and we have little to talk about beyond our mutual course or university experiences and again, this is not the rest which I was so desperately seeking for recently.
This isn’t exactly a love letter to books and it certainly isn’t that interesting, or even coherent, but these are thoughts I thought worth sharing. I assume that many, if not all, readers will recognise this in themselves. However, if any of you don’t or you’re looking for a reason which will encourage that reluctant reader in your life to pick up a book this might be it.
Life returns to ‘normal’ next week after my assignment deadlines, placement and conference so hopefully blogging and things besides reading can start to creep back into my schedule. But, of course, reading will remain central to my down-time and in times of stress I know exactly what I need to turn to get through it.
Beth's Books (and other bits and bobs) 