Binge Reading

I must confess, I used to binge read. I would go to the library and grab some books from my reading list. I was alone, well, not really. I was in a long distance relationship at the time, so when I wasn't talking on the phone I was reading. Binge watching television wasn't hip or even really thought about because there was a world outside. We didn't post pictures on a social media website. You took pictures with a camera that required film. This reality was a world where you couldn't drag your computer outside and your phone required a cord.  It was the pre-digital world. 

I enjoyed the physical contact of words on paper. I enjoyed the way the words fed the imagination. I never felt reading was a passive activity. I was a dreamer.

Binge watching television is the latest thing for people to do when they want to watch a lot of television. 

I came up with a way to binge read in 8 easy steps.

1. Go to the library. You might remember this building. It also has free books they will lend to you for the insane price of free. The library card is free. It only cost you some free time to read. You might even feel a sense of accomplishment. 

2. Pick books that interest you, or pick some books at random. Pause, look the book over and make sure there aren't any surprises waiting for you.

3. Check your books out, and this is probably the easiest step.

4. Pick a location where you can read in silence. This will seem strange at first. You might take many false steps because you aren't used to silence, but it does help to have the right reading environment.

5. Read the books.

6. Pause after reading those books and think about how it feels to read those books.

7. Return library books before they are due because you don't want to pay any fines for late books.

8. Don't brag to your friends about binge reading because they might interrupt you and tell you about the latest show they are binge watching. Be sociable and try to keep your sad face to a minimum--they just can't be as cool as you.