The Reader

One of my favorite Mother's Day cards of all time.
I bought our fridge yesterday and went over to look at the progress on the house. It's coming along. They've made a lot of progress which is really encouraging to see. I'm stoked, really. I think they should be putting the kitchen and flooring in any day now. I can't wait to go 'home.'
I realized yesterday that I am currently reading 3 books at once. I guess this is kind of a common occurrence. I seem to always start things and then start other things and yet even more things. I started one book yesterday and almost finished it. That's a first for sure. I am not a fast reader. My brother was always the one who read. He was reading by the time he was 3 and never stopped. He would always climb into my parents' laps with a book and ask to be read to. When I came along, they assumed I would follow in suit. Or not. I don't even remember when I learned to read but it wasn't at 3. And while Caleb was begging to be read to, my parents had to plant me in their lap with a book, all the while with me squirming away. I liked the picture books. But I didn't really like being read to until I was older. Still...even then I didn't like to read. Clear through to my Freshman or Sophmore year of high school. I could not stand reading. Especially when forced. In fact...out of all the book reports they made us do, I cannot think of one book that I finished in school. The only one I can even remotely remember enjoying and quite possibly could have finished was 'My Name is Asher Lev' by Chaim Potok. As dark as that book is at times, it is one of my favorites of all time. We read it again in college and I was stoked.
During junior high and even high school, my mom would read to me. It sounds childish I know but she enjoyed reading to me and I enjoyed listening more than I did reading myself. My best friend used to always tell me she was jealous that we did that. I have to admit I loved those times.
But my real enjoyment of reading didn't begin until I was maybe 14 or 15. I finally began reading for myself and nobody else. And that's when I learned to like it. I think it started a little earlier than that actually...the first thing I really remember reading for myself and enjoying it was 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' by Douglas Adams. I remember reading it in class during study hall when all my work was finished and being so embarrassed because I couldn't stop laughing hysterically. I'm not sure what happened to my copy of it. I need to read that series again. The next most prominent books I remember reading were 'Mort' and 'Wyrd Sisters' by Terry Pratchett and 'The Lord of the Rings Trilogy' by J.R.R. Tolkien. Thinking back, I'd probably be baffled at the thought of someone reading 3 books at a time...let alone ME. But here I am...reading and enjoying it. My English teachers would be shocked. I always wondered if they knew I never finished a single book in their classes...
If you ever read this, it wasn't out of spite. I just hated reading.