Everyone in my family reads a lot. It's almost an addiction. A friend from grade school still teases me to this day about the time she invited me over to go swimming and I declined, saying, "Sorry, but I'm in the middle of a really good book." Everyone in my family reads different sorts of books. My mom reads murder mysteries, my sister (along with other things) reads romance novels, my brother reads thrillers, my dad reads more scientific or factual things and the odd book on math theory. I read everything. I try to read one non-fiction book for every two fiction books that I read.
So is one type of book better than another? I say yes. I read science fiction. I read Harry Potter. I read current best sellers. I read 18th century French novels. (I have a lot of time on my hands.) But I find I don't have much to say to people after immersing myself in a sci-fi book for a week. I count recount the plot of the book but nobody really cares. However, I can now tell you everything that I am learning about the mob in Cuba in the 1950s (from the non-fiction book I am reading) and you might actually be interested. It makes me a more intelligent and more interesting person.
So are fiction books totally worthless? What do we get from them? I think they can influence the way we think and feel. They can stir up emotions. They can teach us about morals. I think I learned more about morals by reading Louisa May Alcott books than I did going to Catholic school.
Plus they can take us away. We escape into a different world filled with different characters and plots and that lets us forget about our own problems for a while. I would have to say that reading a book is a much better way to get away from our problems than say, drinking alcohol or doing drugs.
And fiction books are enjoyable. There's a lot to be said for that. Some of the non-fiction books that I read are enjoyable. But others read like school textbooks and I read them solely to get information out of them.
Where does the news fall in all this? Do you read the news every day? I try to. I definitely don't read it as much as I should and I don't read as many sources as I should. Hmm, the word "should" keeps popping up. Nobody is going to say that you "should" read 18th century French literature, but they will say that you "should" read the daily paper. Is reading about another murder that happened in Chicago going to really benefit me? Maybe as it warns me that I should probably avoid that area and informs me of a growing crime/gang problem in Chicago. Mostly it is just going to depress me.
When my mom was struggling and emotionally distraught when she was going through cancer, her doctor suggested that she stop watching the news. Would we be a happier and more optimistic nation if we stopped watching the news? Or would we just be an ignorant nation? And why do only negative things seem to get deemed noteworthy enough to mention in the news? If there ever actually is a happy story in the news people will make comments like, "oh, it must be a slow news day!" Must it be? Must we only focus on the negatives?
When my sister was in the hospital I would look up news stories every morning to entertain her with and to help her keep current. Sick of all the negativity, I would occasionally turn to happynews.com to hear about something positive every once in a while.
The reading I do falls into different categories. The things that I feel I should read, need to read, want to read to improve myself and things that I enjoy reading. Why do you read?
I used to think fiction was a complete waste of time because you couldn't learn anything from it (fact wise) but have since learned that that is so far from true. Still, I almost exclusively read non-fiction, and often technical literature. A new theory or philosophy behind science or technology can prove equally riveting as a James Joyce novel.
ReplyDeletePS - Your comment on not watching the news when one is ill is 100% the right thing to do, I think.
I don't really have a comment on the post. I don't read a lot of books these days and it bothers me. Instead I scan blogs, online news journals and magazines.
ReplyDeleteBut I noticed on your blogger profile that you ask the question: do you ever try brushing your teeth with the opposite hand?
I do--I brush part of my teeth with each hand. I thought everybody did! Don't you switch from your right to your left to really get at the back teeth on the left? Or am I a freak? I am a very messy toothbrusher. Dave laughs at me when we brush together because I drool toothpaste everywhere. Just thought I would share.
You are totally a freak! Most people brush with their dominant hand and find it difficult to brush with their other hand. Perhaps you are just really talented. Or perhaps that is why you are such a messy toothbrusher.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I am back, I just went and brushed my teeth to try it out. Brushing with the opposite hand is not nearly as awkward as I remember it being but it also just doesn't feel quite right. However, I really did not notice any benefit to switching hands.
Two comments. First, I read to get my mind to quiet down. I read before bed almost every night, even for just a few minutes. It focuses me and gets me to stop thinking about so many things all at once.
ReplyDeleteSecond, I have an electric toothbrush and I almost always use just one hand to do it. But recently I've been doing yoga poses WHILE brushing my teeth - just to pass the time - so I switch hands now. But that's only possible because all my left hand has to do is hold the toothbrush. If it was forced to actually go back and forth quickly, I KNOW it would be a mess. Not so coordinated.