My New Old Love

I never really intend to come up with a New Year’s resolution. But sometimes they find me. Sometimes they are just things I would like to do, and they just happen to come to mind around the New Year. This year was one of those years. About a week before New Years I decided I want to replace my constant TV watching with reading books.

As a child I loved to read books and have books read to me. There is a picture of me as kid, (probably four years old) sitting on my bed holding a “Read Along” book and listening to the tape. Those were awesome (minus the scary chime indicating a page turn). I loved Reading Rainbow--butterfly in the sky, I can go twice as high—okay, sorry. I always had a book checked out from my school library. I owned what seemed like every single novel in the Babysitters Club and Sweet Valley High collections (don't judge, you know you read them too.) I remember once my mom found several books from both those collections at a yard sale; I was ecstatic! My thrifty mother also discovered a used book store that had opened in a town 30 minutes away—The Book Nook. The Book Nook was great because the books were so cheap I could load up on as many as I pleased. I was also the nerdy kid that actually loved book reports. I mean, you got to pick out a new book to read, and then give a detailed report about that book. What’s not to love?

The beginning of my teen years I stopped reading. No idea what the sudden change was, but I just lost interest. I think I had just become too busy. I had this new desire to talk on the phone constantly.

Side rant: What was it with us girls back then? (I say “then” because now the girls all text.) Why did we love to talk on the phone so much? Now it is the last thing I enjoy doing. Love to talk in person, not so much over the phone.

Okay, back to books.

I didn’t start reading again until my 20s. Even then, I would only read one or two books a year. In the last few years I have started to pick up and read a few more books here and there. Recently, that itch to read has become incredibly itchy therefore my new year’s resolution was born.

As of this last week, I am the proud carrier of a library card. I have only ever used my school and college libraries so this is big for me. I feel so privileged. To some of you this may seem like not a big deal, but my home town didn’t have a public library when I was a child. I was always so fascinated when I saw them on TV. I wanted so badly to go to a “real” library. Well, I’m 31 and I finally get to go to a “real library.”

I love my new-old hobby. This is one resolution I am thoroughly enjoying.