June 18, 2013

On Reading and Riding (in buses)

You do know how much I like reading. As much as chasing random cats on the street and wearing patterned trousers with striped shirts. And for a long time I hoped to find a position (a paid one, mind you) where I'd be able to read stuff and then retell* it to well, anyone who needs stuff, and i would gladly work long hours for free. Because i like reading so much that I read anything and everything from books and today's papers to shampoo bottles and candy wrappers.

I do have one problem though, kind of my curse if you wish. I can't read in buses, train, cars any kind of transportation which is a real curse for someone who spends an hour and a half in daily commute to work. Whenever I put my nose in the book for longer than 3 minutes I get the worst nausea and I can either leave the bus and keep on reading on a bus stop or simply forget the book at home. Whoever cast this spell on me new their job well. I mean I get to read all the announcements and notices, all the toothpaste and shampoo posters, all the billboards along the way. I know how many sitting and standing places there are in most of the Ukrainian trolleys in Belgrade whether the vehicles are double or single. I know the stickers above the hammers for breaking the glass in cases of emergency (and I wonder if no AC in the vehicle counts as emergency). I peek into people's papers and books occasionally, just to stay informed and maybe evaluate someone's personality highly subjectively based on the said reading material. I'm quite discreet, no leaning. But that's it my books are left sad at home.

And when people say how no one's reading in the public transportation anymore I feel embarrassed I shrink to the size of a speck of dust I feel called out. And these days I rarely have a book in my bag in my bag when I leave home (a pound less, though). And some days I bring one, I keep it on my lap for a while, not to be seen, but to try again, and it still doesn't work. And I hate it that people are reading so little in the PT.

On the other hand I get to see this:



* I hope a degree in literature makes me qualified for the job, because that's exactly what I did for 4 (maybe a bit more) years of University.
** I found some great reads this way, although once I managed to read almost two pages of a great book over a lady's shoulder and frustratingly didn't get to see the title or the author...


;)


2 comments:

  1. I still read on public transport. does that make you feel a little better?

    ReplyDelete