Ted.aily: I am the world's worst reader.

I am the world’s worst reader.

Don’t let that fool you into thinking that I hate reading, because I love reading. The issue is me; 100% me.

Reading takes me back to elementary school, where science fiction and fantasy were my reality. Sometimes I found it hard to bring myself back from vanquishing enemies within my home. With sword in hand, I kept my enemies from advancing, constantly muttering under my breath, swiping hard enough to hear the whoosh of my sword. It never occurred to me that I might look silly, prancing up the stairs with a wooden dowel in hand, swiping and lunging at nothingness.

Today, I find myself eventually sneaking back to the YA section, browsing the latest series, pretending to keep up with my students, when in reality a little part of me wishes I was still in their shoes. It’s not that I enjoy the books any less as an adult, but the complexity of “adulting” has become a stronger excuse than my motivation to read the latest adventure.

Beyond the complexities of adulthood, the larger problem is the time commitment of reading. While reading the latest 100 book series sounds intriguing, I find myself prioritizing the rest of my life. There always seems to be more to do, and never a moment to slow down. The books I might have scarfed down as a child, now take me months to read, sometimes years. I pick up a book with good intentions, and six months later, find myself having read the first chapter a dozen times.

I know the easy fix to my reading dilemma, but the culture of my life has yet to accept that solution. And until that happens, my sword fighting days are all but a distant memory.

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies… the man who never reads lives only one.”

- George R.R. Martin