Five things friday (undercover reading)

Well, here we are again. I'm running a bit behind because I took in a Kenny Wayne Shepherd concert last night. He has 91-year-old Bobby Rush on this tour, singing and blowing a mean harp! Anyway, I got home late, slept a little later than usual, and then decided to run 10 miles (instead of 9) this morning. That's my first double-digit run since May when I was doing them regularly. I'm a bit whooped right now. But... here's the stuff you've been waiting for:

1. UNDER THE COVERS

Yes, I'm goin' there. But first, I do not understand why people don't sleep between the sheets! I mean, just, why?? It kinda grosses me out a little bit. You can call me old, but I LIKE sleeping between the fitted sheet and the flat sheet -- with a bedspread ON TOP OF that! I also like washing the sheets now and then. This week, however, I did something totally crazy... I ironed our sheets after washing them!! Yep, that was me, downstairs ironing the sheets and pillow cases fresh outta the dryer. Why? I kinda wanted to see if anyone noticed (and by "anyone," I mean Jane). It was an experiment of sorts. Does it make a difference? Well, I don't know. She didn't say anything; and I don't know if I'd have noticed if I hadn't been the one to do it. They may have been a little more crisp... but I'm not sure if that's all that good or not. Still, it happened, and you read about it here!

2. WHY AREN'T WE READING?

According to this article, fewer Americans are reading, and spend less time reading. Reading for pleasure is down 40% over the past 20 years... dropping about 3% per year. What I find absolutely disheartening is the fact they say only 2% of adults reported reading with their children! Here are some bits directly from the story:

"...reading declined more sharply among Black Americans, those with less education or lower incomes, and people in rural areas, with gaps widening over the 20-year study period."

"The authors cautioned that less reading could affect health, well-being and literacy. Reading has been linked to stronger language skills, reasoning and empathy..."

"I think it's important for people to understand that reading for pleasure is actually a health promoting activity," Sonke said. "We know that participating in the arts is a healthy behavior because it statistically results in improved health outcomes including well-being, social cohesion, mental health..."

This path we're on doesn't seem too great, does it?

3. YOU KEEP USING THAT WORD

Speaking of books, hows about some bookish words? Thoughtco.com posted this article, and these are, apparently, actual real words:

ABIBLIOPHOBIA: The the fear of running out of things to read.
BALLYCUMBER: Coined by writer Douglas Adams, "One of the six half-read books lying somewhere in your bed."
BIBLIOBIBULI: "The sort of people who read too much," created in 1957 by H. L. Mencken.
BIBLIOGNOST: One who has comprehensive knowledge of books.
BIBLIOKLEPT: One who steals books.
BIBLIOLATER: One overly devoted to books.
BIBLIOPHAGIST: An avid or voracious reader.
BIBLIOPOLE: A dealer especially in rare or curious books
BIBLIOSMIA: An unofficial term for the aroma of a book.
BIBLIOTHERAPY: The practice of using books to aid people in solving the issues they are facing.
BOOKARAZZI: Slang for someone who takes photos of their books and posts them online.
BOOK-BOSOMED: Attributed to Sir Walter Scott, meaning someone who carries a book all the time.
BOOK SHELFIE (and library shelfie): A self-portrait with books that is shared on social media.
EPEOLATRY: The worship of words.
HAMARTIA: Aristotle introduced the word in Poetics to describe the error of judgment which brings about a tragic hero's downfall.
LIBROCUBICULARIST: A person who reads books in bed.
LOGOMACHIST: One given to disputes over or about words; one given to logomachy.
LOGOPHILE: If you're a logophile, you already know this means a lover of words.
OMNILEGENT: Reading or having read everything, characterized by encyclopedic reading
PANAGRAM: A short sentence that contains all 26 letters of the English language, as in: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
SCRIPTURIENT: Having a strong urge to write.
TSUNDOKU: And our favorite, a Japanese word describes piling up books to save for later ... even if you'll never actually read them. 

4. WHAT AM I READING?

I'm glad you asked... This week I started Richard Beck's 'The Shape of Joy.' Richard is one of those people whose writing style I seem to connect with, and so far this short (165-page) read has been really good. It's based on a simple premise, but that doesn't mean it's not important, or easy. I like it, and will likely have more to say about it later!

5. A QUOTE

"You are richer than 93 percent of people. Not in money, but in time. Over 108 billion people have lived throughout history. 93 percent of them are dead. You have what every king and queen, every pharaoh and ruler, ever CEO and celebrity of the past would give all their wealth and power for: Today." - James Clear

 

And... there ya have it. Now it's time for me to get to my daily reading (see #4). What about you? What are you currently reading?

Peace out; and in