I’ve just discovered that I only
read when I am busy. Yes! Seriously,
I’ve this peculiar habit of reading when I am busy in the truest sense, give me
some empty time and days in hand, and, you’ll find me procrastinating reading
for sunnier days. Having a baby makes it all the more difficult and reading takes
a back seat. But no, like a mad woman I am hell bent on finishing up all the
pending books I didn’t read over the years. (I’ve wrapped up The White Tiger, Tuesdays with Morrie,
Catcher in The Rye, and I have again left The Casual Vacancy mid-way, and
And the mountains echoed recently.
I started reading The Casual Vacancy in November, (the
hubby got it for me when I was at my mum’s place) the baby was 3 months old
then. It was interesting enough, but then I left it after reading about 80
pages, as it was too heavy and I was scared of dropping it on the head of my
little monkey. JK
Rowling mind your fonts, I say.
The cliché “reading depends a lot on the mood” holds true for me, I’d left Catch 22 and the 100 Years of Solitude mid way when I was reading it way back in
2005, but later I read and liked them both a lot. I love books, though I am not
an avid reader, I want to read more, write even better, but I don’t either. Now I want the munchkin to pick
reading, just buying him enough books is not enough; I know I’m not reading
enough to him, or at least not as much as I wish to. Respect to the super-working-mommas, who are doing such
a great job out there. Sometimes I feel so inadequate compared to them.
For me the reality is after office,
I reach home, to a very clingy almost 1 year old, who is now going through a bad separation anxiety phase—and even
saying that breaks my heart. So, I
spend considerable time –soothing, playing, singing, feeding, and reading—if he is in the mood— till he falls asleep. So, in the end it all comes down to mood!
Then the husband and I sit down for
some chit chatting, while browsing through Comedy
Central, Fox Traveller, Star World
or TLC or any other sports channel. (When it comes to TV, he’s the boss on
weekdays, and I am the queen on weekends). So, where is the time for books?
Ah!! But then when I am in mood –I find time— to switch on the bed side lamp,
instead of hitting the pillow, open the pages – instead of watching TV (post 11
PM, TLC show Latin Angels, yuckiest
show on TLC, the movie channels are flooded with actions or dubbed south India
movies).
So these days I read, till munchkin
calls for attention or I fall asleep!
OR
P.S. I hope this mood last till I
finish up the pending books on my shelf, so that I can replace it and make
space for some baby diapers. Yes, I am running out of shelf space!