I guess I can safely say that the General and I have overcome our addiction to HGTV. For many years we paid for Dish Network simply for the pleasure associated with episodes on that channel. We no longer have Dish, and I have no desire to go back. We still have access to HGTV but it is only once in a blue moon that we choose to watch that channel.
I recently talked with a young man who just turned 25-years-old, and he told me that he has recently made some adjustments in his lifestyle. Truth be told, he was never addicted to HGTV, but he often found that television was taking up too much of his free time. After coming to that conclusion, he sold his television and eliminated it from his home.
Now he fills his free time reading books. From the brief conversation I shared with him, he has taken an interest in reading Greek mythology. From the excitement in his voice as he told me about his pursuit, I had a flashback to my freshman year at college. It was the first time I was exposed to the epic poems of Homer. I was fascinated by the Iliad and the Odyssey.
I must tell you that my freshman English class was light years more enjoyable than the algebra and physics classes I took. I registered for them because I was young and dumb. It wasn't that I was late to register; my time to register was assigned by the school. According to my academic counselor, I needed a math and science class my freshman year. The only two classes available in those categories were the two I took. By the skin of my teeth, I didn't get added to the dean's list in the most negative sense of that word.
I remember reflecting on my first year of college during the summer that I was back home eagerly awaiting the beginning of a next school year. The highlight of my freshman year was the English class, thanks to Greek mythology. It was probably the only new thing I learned that year.
The young man I talked with that sold his television and turned to books as an alternative is a step ahead of his game. Reading is something I enjoy, but I have an older retired friend that reads a minimum of three books a week. Can you imagine?
When we were little kids, mother took us to the library every week during the summer months. She expected us to read. I know that nearly a hundred years later, my younger brother and I are still reading.
When I traveled long distances for work, I often listened to recorded books while I was driving. On more than one occasion, when I arrived home late at night, I drove around the neighborhood a few more minutes than I needed to before finding a good place to stop.
So, after talking to the young man that is thrilled with his newly found passion for reading, the thought occurred to me that it would serve me well to read more books. What about you?
All My Best!
Don
No comments:
Post a Comment