Monday, March 23, 2015

To read, or not to read? That is the question

The look. That odd, who just farted, kind of look that you receive from a non reader when they discover that you actually do read. Yes, books, not just the back of the cereal box. Or that exaggerated "You read?!", as if you just disclosed that you are secretly a millionaire. *Sigh* I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I have had both of those reactions directed towards me. Sometimes both at once. Double whammy. Now I give the odd, who just farted, look right back at them while blurting out "You don't read?!".

You know what the most popular response to that question is? I don't have time to read.

Really? You don't have time. You have time to browse Facebook, or watch your favorite television shows, but you don't have time to read books. Let's just be honest, and instead of saying that you don't have time to read, just come right out and say that you choose not to read. You make time for the things that you enjoy. Don't blame the books, blame yourself. It is easy enough to find some spare time too. Read during your lunch breaks while at work (One of my favorite ways of getting in some extra reading time), read during commercials while watching television (I also do this), if you must, read while on the toilet (was I able to sneak that one in there?).

One of the first signs of a non reader, is the glazed over look that comes into their eyes when you attempt to discuss the book that you are currently reading. You can literally stop talking mid sentence, and they won't even realize that your conversation has come to a halt.

According to a HuffPost/YouGov poll asking 1,000 U.S. adults about their reading habits, 41 percent of respondents had not read a fiction book in the past year; 42 percent had not read a nonfiction book.
There's overlap between the groups -- 28 percent of respondents did not read a book at all in the past year, while 25 percent read between one and five books, 15 percent read between six and ten books, 20 percent read between 11 and 50, and eight percent read more than 50.

2 comments:

  1. I've had a few people actually try to make me look lazy because I read books, with comments such as "You have a husband and children and a home to care for...how can you possibly read a few books a week?!" Almost as though reading is as bad as a meth addiction. I forego almost all television so that I have an hour or two after the kids are in bed to read.

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  2. Exactly. Those same people probably make time for computer and television enjoyment, the same as you make time for reading. So in reality they too would have just as much time to dedicate to reading, if they chose to. I consider books far more important then the two aforementioned activities. I find it sad that a lot of people find reading to be 'outdated', and don't even know how to react when they hear that someone chooses to read for pleasure. And why should there even be a reaction in the first place?

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