In the "about me" section of this blog, I state that I'm currently exploring the subtle differences between passion and obsession. Well, I wasn't kidding. Deep down, I know I'm an obsessive person. I am currently obsessed with reading to the point where dinner is often delayed until 7pm so that I can read just one more chapter of my latest book. I have been reading in my dreams, strangely cognizant that I am in fact dreaming and therefore must be making up the text of the book I'm dream-reading and curious if it's really any good or if it's just a bunch of whacked-out mumbo jumbo. I often wake up at 3am with thoughts of characters and wondering what they'd do in certain situations.
If the previous examples were not enough to let me know that I'm obesessed, I did in fact send my 3 year old son downstairs with a note for my 9 year old son asking him to make breakfast for his little brother so I wouldn't have to stop reading my book and do it myself.
I'm only going to claim partial responsibility for my actions because I come from a family with wonderful obsessive tendencies and surely some of the fault must lie with my progenitors. I'd get my mom to back up this assertion, but I can't get her to stop playing computer solitare long enough to comment. (I'm joking mom!! I know you don't spend all your time on computer solitare...where would you find time to cut up fabric into teeny, tiny pieces and then sew it back together in intricate, geometric patterns?)
I did a little googling today to try and find out if I'm currently obsessed, or if I might be simply "passionate" about reading. I would have done this sooner, but I was so busy reading, I didn't have time to turn on the computer.
I found this lovely little quote that, I think, sums things up nicely, even if it does incriminate me just a bit.
“Passion is a positive obsession. Obsession is a negative passion.” Paul Carvel
I think I might be ok for now, after all, I'm obviously not reading while I'm writing this. Although I have to admit...I'm thinking about it.
3 comments:
I think you are obsessed. Seriously, everytime I talk to you, you're telling me about another book you've finished. I believe you read 800 pages in one day, right? Enough with the reading! As someone very wise and very old once told me..."Make a clean break." Trust me, it helps. I know what you mean about dreaming about reading and seeing the words as you close your eyes. That happens to me all the time when I'm totally into (obsessed) with a book. My mind starts making up parts of the story but I see those parts as words like I've written them and they become real parts of the story. Or I wake up wondering what will happen next but the words are gone. This is when I take a break from reading or from playing word racer, or scrapbooking, or playing video games. Maybe it's time to take a break...
Dream reading is the worst. I do that sometimes too and then when I pick the real book up again I'm all confused because I have to sort out what actually was in the book and what I just made up when I was asleep.
Have you heard of the motherreader challenge? It's a 48 hour readathon. We missed it this year - it was a couple of weekends ago. But next year I think we should do it. Most of those participants read the YA stuff too because it goes faster. http://motherreader.blogspot.com
Mother reader sounds great! Let's do it!
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