Here's the problem: I cannot think of a single thing to write about. Not a single thing. I'm out of the habit. And it's 8:37 pm. Seven minutes past my bedtime.
So here comes a random prompt from Juicy Pens Thirsty Paper: Gifting the World with Your Words and Stories. I'm not sure about world. At this point, I'd settle for my family.
And the winning prompt is...
Reading Lamp
Confession: Until recently my reading lamp hasn't been getting a lot of action. It's been gathering dust next to the pile of reading material that keeps growing. It's a sickness, really. The titles keep enticing me. The one-click ordering and two-day shipping on Amazon make it easier to use than the public library. So the envelopes and boxes with that iconic smile keep coming.
And yet I cannot seem to find time to read.
I blame my relationships with Netflix and Teachers Pay Teachers. Slowly and methodically they are edging out my longstanding friendship with the printed page. And social media is the matchmaker in this toxic tug-of-war.
I have books that have been sitting unread for years. Years. I have a copy of Daring Greatly by Brene Brown. Who doesn't? Mine still has the dust jacket and the spine cracks when you open it. Because it was a gift to me in 2013 and I HAVE YET TO READ IT.
This isn't me. The me of ten years ago, or even five, wouldn't let any book sit around unread for five years--especially one on the New York Times bestseller list. I'd guiltily ignore my family while I did nothing but read until the book was completed.
I don't like this new me. I don't think my reading lamp does, either. So I'm going to attempt to gain some balance. More reading. Less of the other stuff.
It's time to stop working 14-16 hour days and then numbing the effects of that by binge-watching season after season of TV shows.
It's time to dust off that reading lamp and put it to good use.
