After the no doubt extremely welcome ‘guest’ post by my sainted Mrs, Tina, last week, I’m afraid you are, once more, stuck with the plodding thoughts of your friendly neighbourhood seated person.
But never mind, eh?
Now, the last week or so has carried less import for me than Tina’s. It’s been one of those where I’ve not really done a whole lot at all, in fact, and it's one of the things I haven’t done that I want to pour forth on today.
Confused? You will be!
Times Passed
You see, we all have our hobbies, our pastimes. We all fill the spare moments of our days with those things that entertain and amuse us, challenge our bodies and our minds, or else, help us to relax and refocus in times of stress.
But never mind, eh?
Now, the last week or so has carried less import for me than Tina’s. It’s been one of those where I’ve not really done a whole lot at all, in fact, and it's one of the things I haven’t done that I want to pour forth on today.
Confused? You will be!
Times Passed
You see, we all have our hobbies, our pastimes. We all fill the spare moments of our days with those things that entertain and amuse us, challenge our bodies and our minds, or else, help us to relax and refocus in times of stress.
Mine used to be reading.
Not that spending hours immersed in a book was my only recreational activity, you understand (I’m far too well rounded for that). It was, perhaps, my main way of escaping the strains and pains of life. Nothing called to me like spending time in some other world, conjured from the mind of Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Agatha Christie, Terry Brooks, and so many others.
On The Line
As the past tense may have implied, I don’t read as much as I used to, and that’s something that started to irk me a little.
There are reasons, of course. There’s my creative writing (another example of which has been accepted for inclusion in the anthology ‘Eldritch Investigations’—link provided below) which does fill some of the hours previously dedicated to the consumption of the same but, if I’m honest, that’s far from the main culprit.
No, I, as so many many others, have succumbed to the dubious pleasures of social media. Whereas once I would have sat on an evening with a book on my lap, now I sit in front of a screen watching videos (no that kind, wash your mind out), reading Facebook comment sections, or wading through the bloated, excrement filled corpse of a social media site that used to be Twitter (or X, or whatever Musk has decided to rebrand it as today).
Resolve Face
And I can’t seem to stop. Yes, there is news to catch up on, both that of family, friends, people who I went to school with and haven’t seen for 30 years, and the possibly more important national and global stuff, but that’s just an excuse. No, it’s far too easy for me to lose myself in the arguments of people I’ll never meet discussing things that don’t directly affect me.
There are reasons, of course. There’s my creative writing (another example of which has been accepted for inclusion in the anthology ‘Eldritch Investigations’—link provided below) which does fill some of the hours previously dedicated to the consumption of the same but, if I’m honest, that’s far from the main culprit.
No, I, as so many many others, have succumbed to the dubious pleasures of social media. Whereas once I would have sat on an evening with a book on my lap, now I sit in front of a screen watching videos (no that kind, wash your mind out), reading Facebook comment sections, or wading through the bloated, excrement filled corpse of a social media site that used to be Twitter (or X, or whatever Musk has decided to rebrand it as today).
Resolve Face
And I can’t seem to stop. Yes, there is news to catch up on, both that of family, friends, people who I went to school with and haven’t seen for 30 years, and the possibly more important national and global stuff, but that’s just an excuse. No, it’s far too easy for me to lose myself in the arguments of people I’ll never meet discussing things that don’t directly affect me.
Now, I’m obviously decently aware of the trap I seem to have fallen into, and earlier this year I decided to do something about it.
I decided to get my read back on.
This wasn’t a New Year’s Resolution, because we all know those don’t tend to work (I once spent New Year's Eve drunkenly crashing at a mate’s who pledged to give up smoking, lit his last cigarette at 11:45 and lasted right up until just before lunch time the next day. Suffice it to say we didn’t wake early that morning for all sorts of understandable reasons). No, this wasn’t until halfway through January and was less of a resolution, and more of an aim. I decided to try to read a book a month.
Speed Reading
I’m not a slow reader, you understand. In fact, depending on the book I’ve been known to devour a whole novel in a day (and that’s the kind with big words and no pictures). My little agreement with myself is still proving just a bit harder than it should, though. I’m on track, although this month I’ve given myself (checks imaginary watch) eight whole days to plough through one of the Stephen Kings my sister got me for my birthday last month, but what would have been an absolute doddle has taken a bit of work. Not so much in the reading, but in the scheduling of some book time in the blur of my decidedly unbusy life.
This wasn’t a New Year’s Resolution, because we all know those don’t tend to work (I once spent New Year's Eve drunkenly crashing at a mate’s who pledged to give up smoking, lit his last cigarette at 11:45 and lasted right up until just before lunch time the next day. Suffice it to say we didn’t wake early that morning for all sorts of understandable reasons). No, this wasn’t until halfway through January and was less of a resolution, and more of an aim. I decided to try to read a book a month.
Speed Reading
I’m not a slow reader, you understand. In fact, depending on the book I’ve been known to devour a whole novel in a day (and that’s the kind with big words and no pictures). My little agreement with myself is still proving just a bit harder than it should, though. I’m on track, although this month I’ve given myself (checks imaginary watch) eight whole days to plough through one of the Stephen Kings my sister got me for my birthday last month, but what would have been an absolute doddle has taken a bit of work. Not so much in the reading, but in the scheduling of some book time in the blur of my decidedly unbusy life.
I’m considering designating a reading time, maybe on an evening, to battle this readiness to do things other than read. It can only help, but some part of me is still disappointed I should need to. The bookish adolescent who still lives somewhere in my brain is let down by the social media obsessed man he has become. I guess, and I owe it to him to buck (book?) my ideas up
Until next time…
Hey, there! If you enjoyed reading any of the above, why not take a look at some of my published work? Below you’ll find links to a number of short stories I’m lucky enough to have included in anthologies. I’d love to know what you think
New Tales Of Old: Volume 2
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09TMVTX9H/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Death Ship
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/9198684140/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_TWEMTA3KWK7T89QEZPF6?fbclid=IwAR322Fx5nfgVUQAA62ZZ6CUsNnBm8pbSxPanzz6Qkjg3vAv4ESipq7iKKhs
https://www.waterstones.com/book/death-ship/david-green/s-o-green/9789198684148?fbclid=IwAR2gP4CXHSG7wTccO39wOqXFtI81k0259Ep8DUM48Ki6kTUdlKoF3yafojA
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/9198684140/ref=ewc_pr_img_1?smid=A2XZ7JICGUQ1CX&psc=1&fbclid=IwAR2Wa6sGxb82_VCsC7l1CGXwHjsSwTheqba6jDX_G8EDsywZoGpC93nXr2w
Reaperman
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reaperman-Drabbles-3-Legends-Night-ebook/dp/B099NNPTQ1A
Pestilence
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pestilence-Revelations-Black-Ink-Fiction/dp/B09MDLZGHY/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2VP38WZDWJVAF&keywords=black+ink+fiction&qid=1654090896&sprefix=black+ink+fiction%2Caps%2C218&sr=8-1
The Musketeers Vs Cthulhu
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Musketeers-Cthulhu-Court-King-Louis-ebook/dp/B09YQKQQB7/ref=sr_1_18?crid=2VP38WZDWJVAF&keywords=black+ink+fiction&qid=1654091002&sprefix=black+ink+fiction%2Caps%2C218&sr=8-18
Eldritch Investigations
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