Honoré here: This week's 10 on Tuesday prompt: what's on your nightstand. (We'll pretend it's Tuesday since I'm just now getting around to sharing):
- a tray with a glass of water for when I awake thirsty
- a box of kleenex
- Gold Bond body lotion - this really helps lubricate my skin, especially in the winter months
- a ceramic dish for holding my glasses and cleaning cloth
- my sunglasses in a case, so they're easy enough to find
- my pedometer so I remember to don it each day
- a small glass bowl for my watch and rings
- nail clippers -mostly for Norman to easily locate
- a basket for the tv remotes - don't normally watch tv at night; it's in the bedroom for times of illness or to check weather reports in the AM in the event there's a storm brewing and
- a glass jar with pencil, glasses cleaner, etc
What is noticeably absent: reading matter! Commenting on my friend Mary's post, I wrote: "looks like you have a great pile of "reads" too. believe it or not, my nightstand is bereft of books - and this coming from a career-grad (retired) librarian!" to which, she replied: "what???!!! no books on your nightstand? that does surprise me! "
I bet you're surprised too. Are you wondering why not?
Simply because I'm not a night-time reader. Though that has not always been the case but clearly, I've not done much, hardly any reading in bed for easily twenty-five years. Primarily because when I hit the sack I fall asleep in a matter of seconds and even when I might turn on tv to catch the 11 pm news, I fall asleep before 5 minutes are up. At best, I read in bed when I'm sick with a cold - very rarely - and generally, those times, too, will find me asleep in a matter of minutes.
I can think of several times in my adult life when I've started to read a book in bed and wound up staying awake until I finished the book. The first was in the very early seventies. I came home, about 10:30 pm from a Toastmistress meeting and was wired from drinking way too much coffee. Just happened to have William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist in my reading pile and I decided to read it. Oh wow! Why did I do that? I couldn't put it down nor did I want to go to sleep - I was scared silly and couldn't wait for dawn to break. I remember calling my mother and inviting her over to spend the night so I could get some sleep. Which, she did, thankfully.
The second occasion was more recently, maybe six years ago. This time the book was Daniel Pink's Whole New Mind - all about creativity - and I was just totally enamored with it; in fact, I am still. Periodically I re-read parts and there are all sorts of stickies throughout.
So, if I don't read at night, when do I read? The morning, during my morning solitude and quiet time - MSQT - which I write about periodically. I get up between 5:30 -6:00 am, go downstairs, fix tea, write in my journal and read: books, magazines, blogs, PDF downloads from online classes, etc. MSQT can last for several hours, depending on what I'm reading and is on my agenda. The table next to my chair is generally littered with books and magazines and notecards, my journal/planner and ubiquitous glass of water...
And there you have it: the reason my nightstand is bereft of books.
Cheers~
P.S. Don't tell anyone: right between the chair and the table is a metal basket on wheels filled with more books and magazines - some to read and some read.
