when you decide you become smarter by reading books

Look at my bookshelf, she says.

My last apartment had a bookshelf. The bookshelf was home to many, many books I had collected over the years. Garage sales (oh, how I miss garage sales), thrift shops, book sales, I collected very many books. Most of them gathered dust, as I found myself too busy to read (and a little addicted to Netflix). When I did read, it was for a mere 15 minutes between classes and work. 

Although my time was not spent reading, I often found myself feeling wise or interesting because of the books on my bookshelf. I didn't ever have company, my apartment was not the biggest. And no one really saw my bookshelf, but it made me feel smart. I enjoyed rearranging the books, reading the descriptions, diving into the first few pages, occasionally reading the last sentence, rarely finishing a whole book. All this and I never seemed to pick up the habit of reading a book cover to cover.

I am reading books now, she says.

The new habit I have picked up is reading. Although a fun fact I have been telling people for many years is my love for books (yes, I love books but reading them is another story-- just don't ask), I can finally say I love reading. I have time and with time comes new hobbies. I have been in Uganda for almost 6 months and I have read (cover to cover) 3 books. Yes, I am a slow reader but I am enjoying. I could be binge-watching (buzzword.) my hard-drive (the Netflix of a PCV- Peace Corps Volunteer), but as of now I would rather be reading. And when you read books, you become smarter.