"Why don't you go outside and play?" she'd ask.
"Mmmm," I'd respond, my mind far away on whatever great adventure I was currently reading about
When her nagging to go outside and be a regular kid would get to be too annoying, I'd grab my book and find a place to hide. Who needed Jimmy Cooper or Patty Blake as playmates when I had Peter Pan and Wendy as friends?
The worst battles came at night. Mom would want me to turn off the light and go to sleep. After all, I usually had school in the morning and she was a firm believer in being fresh and rested for studious endeavors. I, on the other hand, hated to have to close whatever book I was reading and call it a day. It became a battle of wits. I started turning off the light but grabbing a flashlight and reading under the covers. That worked as long as the batteries lasted or my supply of cool air was depleted on those hot summer nights in a non-air conditioned house. Then in one of those strokes of good fortune, my mother dragged me off to learn Braille. She thought I was going to lose my eyesight (thankfully I didn't) and she wanted to give me the tools to cope. What she actually ended up giving me was a means to read books in the total darkness. Wow! It was great!
Fast forward many years and here I am, still reading every chance I get and still not wanting to turn off the lights at the end of the day to get my rest. My hubby is long-suffering. He has perfected the art of falling asleep with a light still on in the bedroom. But I usually am still clinging to my book (electronic or traditional) until it hits me in the face as it slips from my hands when I doze off. That's why it shouldn't surprise me that I'm pretty tired this morning. I was up late reading. I just couldn't put my Kindle down until...CLUNK....it hit me in the face and that gave me the motivation to turn it off and turn off the light. I guess there are some habits that just never change. Sorry about that, Mom!
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