In moments of time-wasting on the interwebs I take reading speed tests. My results depend on how each test’s structured, but 800 words per minute isn’t unusual. (I think the 1300 wpm one could be an outlier!) And life experience confirms that I read faster than most.
It’s not enough.
I have 4 books I’m actively reading. There’s more than a dozen magazines waiting to be perused. I’m not including studying for my Bible class, or various web-based articles tucked away in my email inboxes. I’d like to include the three books as yet un-begun, but I’d best not. Or the four DVDs–hey, they’re media! And unconsumed!
My lack of throughput could be because none of these qualify as bedtime reading. Bedtime reading, for me, is an extremely narrow category. Engaging enough to, well, engage me, but not new or (still) intellectually stimulating. No big shiny ideas, no plot twists, else the light is still on at 1 a.m. and My Sweetie is sadly mumbling, “Aren’t you asleep YET?” All these things on my ‘stack’ are new to me, so–<bzzt!>
It could be that I’m using up time in writing instead of reading. Eh, technically true, but I’m unwilling to make a case that (1) the half-hour I’m blogging is critical to my reading progress, and (2) that the time I spend working on my other projects is available to be spent on reading.
To wit: I think I spent three hours today for an end result of shipping work to two journals. (A guess; I didn’t clock in or out.) 5 works to each, thus ten new lottery tickets in the great publication sweepstakes.
I’m not sorry the time went there.
Nevertheless! I’m still wishing for the parallel universe where I was reading these cool things at the same time. So many interesting ideas for nom-ing! That I’m NOT nom-ing-!
Why am I built so that I’m perennially lagging behind where I want to be?