Friends,

In late April, I realized that absorbing news stories several times a day was not healthy for my emotional and mental health. Dropping out of commenting on anything political would also be a healthy move for me.

So, I did.

However, I will read news headlines once in a while and listen for a few minutes on something going on in the political realm. Grateful that it doesn’t stick to me like a monster glue.

I’ve discovered I’ve found much more peace and breathe better out of that world, especially the social media world.

Reading has become a refreshing pastime. It’s been a while since I truly read for pleasure and didn’t need to do it to only support my writing.

When I listened to author Lisa Wingate talk this past Sunday, she presented the importance for local communities to read together. That book clubs were essential to bringing people’s common interests in something experienced together to discuss and learn from each other.

This really struck me, because it brought me back to a simpler time when humans spent time together in person, talking, sharing, relating, that has diminished over the era of the tech and internet universe.

Keeping our humanity and respect for each other has been and seems to be more vital than ever.

And reading does this.

As Lisa said, there is a shared experience when you read a book. It’s a dive into a pool of sorts, where you experience the world of the characters you’re reading about and it transforms your own world in making it more enriching and special.

There’s a certain amount of peace I get when I read. The best experience for me is reading outside in my backyard, with the plentiful, calming sounds of the birds and squirrels, and the rustling of the leaves of the trees. As if they’re with me on my journey in the world of the story I’m reading. And I seemed to have forgotten about this special intimacy for many years until recently.

To be able to have such moments of solace and solitude, bereft of noise pollution and never-ending bickering on social media and political shows is a great feeling and encounter.

Thank God I’ve been able to experience this and live my life in a much more healthy and happy environment.

What do you feel like when you are away from the chaos of the world? How do you feel when you are reading a fiction book that takes you out of the flotsam of the social media, political universe?

~*~*~*~