The Trick Is To Keep Breathing

I’ve been suffering for a worrying problem for the last few weeks. It’s been such an embarrassment that I’ve been unable to talk or write about it. Hopefully it’s over now. If not, I’ve definitely made some progress towards recovery.
For several weeks now I’ve been unable to read. This is bad for many reasons:

1. If I don’t keep reading, my writing will suffer as my vocabulary shrinks.
2. Reading has always been my main hobby and my main escape strategy from life. Without it, I’m lost.
3. Anxiety about not-being-able-to-read-ever-again has been forcing my mood further down. Usually when my mood is low, as it is at the moment, I read all the time.
4. Have been feeling very lonely without the warm embrace of a book.
5. If I’m not reading, that’s one fewer normal-thing-to-talk-about.
6. Thoughts such as “the chemo/ anaesthetics/ operations have damaged my brain” are very unhelpful and must be avoided.

So, earlier in the week I stopped struggling through the novel I’d been stuck on for weeks. Much as I hate abandoning books half-read, it had to be done.
Picking up something I’d been looking forward to starting for a while, Catherine Alliott’s “My Husband Next Door”, I was soon lost in it. Phew, I can still read.

So, I’m not going to let that situation occur again. Have a plan:

1. I’m going to make appointments with the book I’m reading and keep them. They are as important as dates. This blog depends on them.
2. If I start reading something and I get stuck on it, it’s fine to put it aside and start something else. The important thing is to keep reading.
3. Is OK, sometimes, to read on the bike at the gym. Is not the best exercise in the world, but is excellent place to read.
4. Must collect some easy-reading books so have a ready supply of them for times, like now, when am not up to struggling through anything difficult.

Will write more tomorrow but have a date with my book now.

Happy Saturday everyone!

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