Old Habits Die Hard

Among the very short list of "good habits" that I think I have is this one habit of reading. I have been a voracious reader ever since I can remember. I remember the times when I used to be scolded by my parents for getting late for school because I wouldn’t buzz without having a good look at the newspaper. I remember those early morning arguments among the three of us (my granddad, my father and me) for who'll get to read the newspaper first. Being the youngest, I usually had to forfeit my right. That's when they started getting three newspapers in the house.

I've always preferred reading books to playing computer games or watching TV. I remember bunking school to finish my copy of the latest Harry Potter. For fear of being scolded I used to hide novels and magazines between my course books and read them, though I was never a big comics fan. I suppose it would have been me who used to get the highest no. of novels issued from the school library, and I never returned a book unread. I even have a small personal library of my own.

But looking back over the past two years, I suppose my reading habit has moved into a state of dormancy (I won’t say that it has become extinct, because I can’t afford to let that happen). I have read only a few books over the past two years. Though I have a readymade excuse for that- I didn’t get time, but then there never used to be time earlier too, and how is it that I can find time for movies, chatting, orkutting and all other velapanti. I don’t read magazines now, though I have a genuine excuse for this one, being a student I can’t spend money on magazines, I have other pressing expenditures like movie tickets, chocolates, coffees at Barista. And then I am not too eager to “read” the newspaper these days, (though it still remains the very first thing I do every morning) just a casual flip does the job for me.

What really troubles me is that all this is happening at a time when I really should be reading. Keeping in mind the fact that I am a management aspirant, reading is the heart and soul of my preparations, I just can’t make it without reading. Life is really ironic, now my father almost daily asks me whether I have read the newspaper or not and what book am I currently reading.
And all this lack of reading has started showing its effects. My general knowledge is getting poor by the day, and my vocabulary has almost become stagnant.

I have to do something about this And this time I WILL do it. I’ve already started taking measures and I think I am improving. Starting these vacations I am reading the newspaper almost 45 min daily. I have already finished two books-something I had been trying to do for the past 10 months, over the past 7 days, and that too both of them non-fiction….Yippee!!!

I suppose I am back on the right track again. After all old habits do die hard.