 |
When I was a boy growing up on the farm at Meskanaw I usually sat at the end of a heavy set green couch in the house to read a book from the library.
At St. Peter’s College in Muenster where I attended boarding school most of my reading was done at my desk in study hall. We had large desks with angled lift up tops. With study hall 6 mornings a week and 2 more hours 6 nights a week there was lots of opportunity for reading when school work was done.
When I had the chance I would also read downstairs in the school library. I read more magazines there. I read every article in Time magazine every week.
At university in Saskatoon I found I could easily distract myself if I stayed at home so I looked for other spots.
During law school I often studied at the Law Library, many times after it was closed. It was easier to concentrate with fewer people around.
Over the 4 years in Saskatoon I did more studying in the Grosvenor United Church. It was near where I was boarding and rooming. The Church let university students use the classrooms in the Church for studying. Unless it was exam time I was often the only student in the building during the evening. By my third year, if the caretaker knew I was there he would not come to lock up but trusted me to close up the building.
The Church was a good place to study but it could be too quiet. Being in a building alone at night when the pipes creak can be startling especially to those who love mystery fiction.
To avoid distractions I would take only university texts. Still, I would look for something else to read for a break in the evening. Occasionally I would read the Bible. I also read the United Church Observer magazine cover to cover every month.
Once I graduated and moved to Melfort I spent more time at the office my first few years than anywhere else.
After Sharon and I purchased our first house I liked to sit on a couch in our living room reading.
Our current home, where we have been resident for almost 39 years, has a nice office / den. In it are an office chair and a pair of armchairs. For the many months of the year when it was not possible to read outside I read there. I expect I have read 2,000 books in the den.
On nice summer days I love sitting out on the deck under our elm tree. It is a peaceful spot when there are no crows around.
Two years ago I wrote to Michael Christie, author of Greenwood, about the special feeling I have while reading beneath the branches of a great tree. A link to the post of our exchange is below.
While cruising I like to sit in big armchairs in the Horizons lounge at the top of Oceania ships. With the sun shining in, it is a wonderful place for reading.
What I do not attempt on the ship is reading a book while laying face down on a ship lounge chair. Some people manage to read a book held over the front edge of the chair or even placed upon the deck.
If readers of the blog would like to share where they would like to read I would be interested in hearing from you in a comment.
****
I'm glad for you, Bill, that you have some good places to read. Both your deck and your armchairs sound very comfortable. And there's nothing like a comfortable, inviting place to settle in with a book. I do most of my reading in my home office. I remember, though, spending lots of time reading in school libraries. My secondary school library was especially inviting, although it wasn't fancy. Thanks for bringing back some good memories.
ReplyDeleteMargot: Thanks for the comment. I wondered where you did your reading. I think we have each spent a lot of time in libraries.
Delete