H is for Hours

H is for Hours

Especially hours spent reading which is something I do often. I read for several hours every day. Fiction, non-fiction, prayer books and daily readers. To say that I read is an understatement. It may be that I spend too many hours reading…is that possible? I would say no but in our harried, hectic world I am somewhat of an anomaly giving so many hours each day to reading.  The average for people under 65 is less than 30 minutes a day spent reading.  I do not have children living at home so I don’t have to drive them anywhere, correct homework or cook dinner for the hungry mob. I do freelance work and I work from home so no time spent on a commute.  My days are not hectic but somehow the hours do fly.

Sadly, a recent study by the National Endowment for the Arts indicated that Americans are reading less than 10 years ago…I wouldn’t have guessed that.

The hours I spend reading make me a better writer, even, in my opinion a better person. But should I spend fewer hours reading and more hours…doing…what?   Books are often the building blocks of relationships…they are certainly are good start to a conversation and what’s a conversation but a good start to a relationship

“Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them.”
― Lemony Snicket, Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid

I have quite a few nieces and nephews and a growing group of grand nieces and nephews and my favorite gifts for them are books. Fortunately most of these young family members are avid readers. I spend more than a few hours reading books for young people.  It is definitely time well spent as I have learned that books deemed appropriate for young people aren’t. Or at least not for very young people.  And some books for young people are truly wonderful.

“A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest.”
― C.S. Lewis

And I do spend time reading the Bible, studying it and learning from it…

“Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.”

-St Jerome

So which of these hours should I give up? None I should say. These are happy hours, heartfelt hours, hours that are spent honorably.