As a kid I used to love reading books. I read so many books just for fun growing up and I absolutely loved doing it. The older I got, however, the more I started reading books for school assignments, and then that morphed into reading books for work matters to try and gain more knowledge that would help me with my business. All of which were great books and all of which gave me tremendous amounts of knowledge about all kinds of topics that helped me throughout my career. Then of course there are religious books that I read on a regular basis to fill my spiritual tank, so to speak. My life became so full of reading business books and religious books that I completely forgot what it felt like to read a book just for the fun of it. And whenever I would consider doing so I would think to myself, “I don’t have time for that” and if I did have time for it I would feel guilty spending it reading a book that wouldn’t help me to become better in business or better spiritually. And so over the years I simply stopped reading books for the fun of it.
Until last week that is. Last week I was picking up a few things at the store and I saw a shelf of books. Front and center was a mystery novel and as I looked at it I remembered how much I used to love reading a good mystery novel. I sat staring at it for a few minutes saying to myself, “you should buy it and read it” and then saying, “you don’t have time for that, you have way more important things to get done.” I sat debating it back and forth – I knew I was going to be sitting on an airplane for several hours anyway and my laptop battery wouldn’t last as long as the flight was so I would use the book to fill the extra time and then I wouldn’t need to feel guilty for reading something just for fun since I was stuck on the flight anyway. So I bought the book.
When I opened the first page and began reading I found myself transported into this whole new world described in the book. I was meeting new people who were the characters in the book and I could picture each scene in my mind as I turned the pages. I was completely sucked into the story. I blocked out the rest of the world around me and sat engrossed in the pages as the story became more and more exciting. I lost all track of time around me as I read further and further. There was excitement and intrigue and mystery. I loved every minute I spent reading that book all the way until the very last page.
When I finished the book I sat there thinking just how much I had missed reading a book just for fun. How sad was it that I had gone so many years without doing that?? That’s when I knew I had to write a blog about it to remind all of you of the joy that comes from reading a book just for the sheer fun of it. Sure it’s important to read books for education and for spirituality and self-improvement – but this experience reminded me that it’s also important to read just for the sheer enjoyment of reading a fun book, at least every once in a while. I would guess I am not the only one that needs that reminder out there. So go to a bookstore or a library and pick out a book that you want to read just for the fun of it…then open page one and just enjoy it!
~Amy
