thought 1

I pick up a book. One sentence reminds me of such, the next reminds me of such and such. I enter a rabbit hole. I realize I am still reading, although it feels like I left planet earth for some time. I cannot recall the last page and half of the book. Time to start over. I flip to the previous page and repeat. Again, and again. I finally give up on reading. Perhaps the book wasn’t enticing enough? Or maybe I am really hungry? I just can't focus on the words.

An odd thing I have noticed is that I prefer to watch a movie based on a particular book before reading the book itself. I find it easier to read the book after the movie because I already have an elaborate mental picture of what I read. It requires little effort to visualize the setting, mood, and characters as I dive deeper into the story line. I am disappointed in myself as I leave no room for alternative interpretation. I don’t allow myself to reconfigure scenes and decide what a character looks like, or the tone of voice used. I am unintentionally sucking the fun out of reading.