Comments on: Read a Book!

By: kaizerin

kaizerin — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 16:20:15 +0000

I concur, Ramona: Hooray for teachers! If we had any sense of priorities at all in this country, they’d be paid like NBA stars.

Sister Sue, you understand my outrage perfectly. How dare these people waste such a precious commodity? God, if they’re not using it, I’d be happy to sop up the extra half-hour of their lunch each day–they can go cover my desk, I’ll keep on reading.

By: Ramona The Pest

Ramona The Pest — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 20:30:33 +0000

It will soon be 50 yrs since I was a h.s. freshman. The thing I hated most about school was the brevity of lunch time. Our lunch break was staggered by 3 bells. If it was your turn to go to lunch on the 3rd bell, you had about 12-15 minutes to run across the street to the cafeteria, stand in line to have your lunch card punched and then about 5-7 minutes to eat. I swore once I got out of h.s. I would never eat fast again. (I’m usually the last one finished eating to this day.)
Hooray for teachers!

By: Sister Sue

Sister Sue — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 20:14:05 +0000

Oh, my heart. I think it stopped when I read that people have an hour for lunch and nothing to do. In the teaching profession we have 22 minutes, and that’s the case even after you’ve worked 30 years. Nothing civilized about a short lunch. What I wouldn’t give for a few minutes to read or knit. Gah!

By: kaizerin

kaizerin — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 17:27:48 +0000

Heh, Ramona. Maybe the lady on the bus thought her lips would get too tired from sounding everything out in so lengthy a book? As for the blank-screen-staring lady, jeeze! I can’t imagine being that…empty.

Also, I’ve heard really good things about Arthur & George, so let me know what you think when you finish it. I believe one reviewer said it was a spectacular example of an author achieving more than the sum of his talents, or similar back-handed compliment.

Corvus, your comment makes me wonder if it’s another example of people refusing to take any personal responsibility–right up to responsibility for their own entertainment. How irritatingly passive.

By: Corvus

Corvus — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 14:59:52 +0000

People’s unwillingness, or inability, to fill their own time never ceases to amaze me.

By: Ramona The Brave

Ramona The Brave — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 12:45:29 +0000

Oh, yeh, currently, I am two thirds of the way through “Arthur & George” by Julian Barnes. It is really interesting now that the two have finally met up.
It is a fairly big book, as in many pages, which reminds me of a comment made by a fellow bus passenger many years ago. (Public transportation to work is wonderful. You get to relax and read instead of fighting with all those stupid drivers out there.)
Anyway, I was reading a big, thick paperback (Zelda, I believe), when this woman says, “Oh, I could never read a big book like that. I would just never get it all read!” Duh, don’t you just read all books one word after another? Kinda like walking a mile instead of a block?

By: Ramona

Ramona — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 12:36:29 +0000

I never go anywhere without a book – even if I am just running into town on a 15 minute errand, I take a book along. Hey, the car might break down and I would have nothing to do while waiting for a tow!
Many, many years ago, whilst living in the corrupt big city, waiting in lines, I learned if I had a book with me, waiting in lines was easy. Well, less stressful anyway.
I can top your fellow employees – at least the one just looking out the window – the woman I used to work with just sat and stared at her blank computer screen if she had nothing to do. I guess she could have been meditating……..R

By: Ken... Just Ken

Ken... Just Ken — Sat, 25 Mar 2006 22:52:20 +0000

I admit I haven’t been reading much lately (I either read obsessivly or not at all), but I don’t think I’d complain about a break in the work day.

I don’t think I’ve ever had trouble thinking of ways to occupy my free time… there’s always something you can do.

But then I’m fascinated by bright shiny things.