My son recently scolded me for the lack of D.E.A.R. in my life. It turns out that his elementary school has a program called Drop Everything And Read, when everyone in his class stops all activities to read for a set period of time. Apparently, I need to do the same.
As a child I was a voracious reader, and while I still read every day, I no longer can dedicate entire afternoons to devouring novels. Fortunately, my son has the luxury to get lost in a book, and I envy his ability to tune everything out, sit on the sofa and read. When I curl up with a book, family members inevitably interrupt with some urgent request that demands my attention. I have yet to understand why seeing me reading has this effect, because it never seems to happen when I am doing some household chore and would welcome the distraction.
As a result, I have become a closet reader. I hide in the bathroom or read in my office with the door closed and the lights out. I stop at the library to snatch thirty uninterrupted minutes between errands. I even let the car engine run in the supermarket parking lot so that I can sneak in a few pages.
Why do the elementary school kids have all the fun? I hereby declare the beginning of adult D.E.A.R. season, so grab a book and read right now!
I’m Frances Jaeger, and that’s my perspective.
