adult add

Today I was in a bookstore for the first time in months. I used to really enjoy hanging out at a Borders with a coffee and browsing, but... haven't done that in a while.

What's changed? Well, I realized that... it's been literally months since I read a novel. Months.

Most of my coworkers would stop and take my pulse at this point. Earlier this month, I realized that it had indeed been a long time since I'd read a novel.

But y'know what? I haven't felt the need. I actually haven't wanted to read any books. Which is a little disturbing, given my previously voracious book appetite.

And I chalked it up to my already overly-stimulated life. Why spend the time reading a book when I could be writing a song? Practicing guitar? Blogging? Doing other stuff that's useful in and of itself?

But then I sheepishly realized -- how much of my time is spent surfing the web??? Voyeuristically reading others' blogs? And how is this more productive than reading a novel?

I fear that my mind has gotten used to soundbites. Between reading blog entries, short articles from Fark, magazine articles... I've begun my slide into lack of focus.

So I got home from Third Place Books starting a new exercise. I searched the shelves for a book I hadn't read (that was tough...) and told myself I'd read for a while. I picked up something easy -- an old Dean Koontz that I'd gotten from a used bookstore. Nothing earth-shattering, but I don't have to think too hard. Anyway, I read six chapters earlier. Goal is to read at least another 6 by the end of the day tomorrow. During the week, the work/music/running schedule tends to get in the way, so we'll have to see about that, but... it's a start in the more focused direction...