So This Is Why They Taught Me To Read

aaand... time to get out of the box.

I realized today how much I love learning. I wholeheartedly embrace my nerdiness - I spent about 8 hours reading my sociology textbook today, and didn't mind it at all. Well, I was slightly crestfallen upon realizing my glacial reading pace, but overall surprised that I could pull off such a feat and enjoy it at the same time. The textbook is a collection of articles, organized into broad categories such as "Family" and "Religion." That probably contributed to my interest - the topic and narrator varied every 5 pages.

And what had I done before all that learning about different cultures, social tendencies and religious beliefs? I learned karate for an hour (we started new self-defense mechanisms - watch out...). It was a pretty great day for me overall, because I've come to see learning as a critical tool for getting out of the box. There are other ways I prefer to learn - namely, from other people - but I felt such a sense of accomplishment each time I finished an article and moved on to another. It reminded me of the way I used to read when I was younger - I used to dive into books for a few days and finish them before my parents realized I had started the first chapter.

I haven't done that in so long. Other things inevitably get in the way - the thrill of reading loses its appeal when there are other priorities and distractions. I could be grumbling about the overwhelming amount of reading my sociology professor assigned, since I'm now even further behind in my work, having expected to get more assignments than just one done today. Secretly, I'm thanking him, because I finally had an excuse to get lost in my reading for an outrageous amount of time. I half expected to look up at one point and find myself on the couch at home, listening to my mom make dinner in the kitchen.

So I still have a ton of work to do tomorrow and even less time. I don't regret it at all though - I think I'll wake up early and keep on learning.