Time to... read?

by Kelly Knowlden

In preparing for Book Week at ICS, my wife and I talked a lot about various books, how to inspire kids to read, what books are best for which age group and how difficult it is to inspire young people to read.  

As we were talking, I thought about the difficulty of trying to find time to read.  I love to read.  I used to devour books.  We read together as a family.  But now, it seems that there is not time to sit down and enjoy reading something just for fun.  Sure, I read the Bible, and even am working through a book about praying.  But to read a story… well that is more difficult to fit in.

Here are some of my musings.  See if any match your thinking. 

1. I have other pressing things that must be done.  (shoveling snow, cutting grass, household maintenance….etc.)  
2. There is computer work that has deadlines. (notes to send to others, e-mail to check and committee work to do…)  
3. It doesn’t seem to fit the dynamic of family life anymore.  (I get home, we get ready for supper, we eat, do school work, play a game / watch Jeopardy / read the newspaper / catch up on little projects at home.)  
4. Media distractions take up time (TV, Facebook, YouTube, texting, etc.)

In thinking about my musings, I realized that I will give myself to what I deem important. And the bottom line is that reading has become not that important to me.  That is scary!  Reading has become utilitarian.  I read for information.  I read to understand something about the world.  But at this point in my life, reading for pleasure is not as pleasurable as other things.

I will find time for what I value.  I need to begin again a re-valuing of reading for pleasure.