I've always been a reader, probably to a pathological degree. My parents used to fight with me to keep from reading books at inappropriate times. I used to read at the dinner table, while cleaning my room, while in the bathroom, in the car, in church, anywhere I could get away with it and lots of places where I couldn't. Any time I ran the risk of growing bored, even for a minute, I had to have a book on hand. I am 27 now, and not much has changed. Yes, these days I read via the Kindle app on my iPad instead of the good old-fashioned paperback, but I still read all the time. Just a few minutes ago I was reading while I made dinner. Once I'm done writing here, I'll resume my book while unloading the washing machine. Reading takes me out of where I am. Its not that my reality is bad at all, but books are so much better than the mundane tasks of pseudo-adulthood.
I read a lot of things, from junk food-esque novels (I read all of V.C. Andrews' Flowers In The Attic series a couple of months ago, and nearly injured myself from laughing too hard) to more respectable works of literature to biographies. Regardless of the genre, it's always about people. I love to read about authors before I read their books so I can see how they emerge in their characters, even if their work is fiction.
People are the most interesting things on this planet to me. I always want to know/understand everything about anyone that I can. Not just individuals though, groups of people, cultures, households, the folks that loiter outside of Royal Farms. I used to think this meant I should study psychology, so I could learn about the human mind. However, I don't like viewing everyone through the lens of mental health, or lack thereof. People are far, far more complex and interesting than the DSM-IV could ever begin to cover. Fortunately, I took a course to fulfill a cultural requirement and realized that the American Studies department was an excellent fit for me.
I work, too. I am a copywriter for a company that raises money for non-profit organizations. Basically, when you get those things in the mail with a picture of a child you could help, or from someone asking to donate money to help build a school someplace, you're reading my work. I like it fairly well. I spend a lot of time thinking of ways to make someone feel moved to give money to a cause, or writing about people's experiences with various organizations and how their lives have been changed as a result. While all of the people I write about have different stories, there are several common themes. I'm particularly drawn to the issues of homelessness, poverty, and prison. I want to understand why it's so hard to break out of the cycles of these three things, because it seems that a significant portion of our country's population is hopelessly stuck in at least one of them.
So, to review, I like books and people, and I want to be in everybody's personal business because it is endlessly fascinating. I don't know how to make a career out of these things yet (which is something I have agonized over for more than a decade) but I feel like I'm on the right path to figuring it out. For now, I'll try to enjoy the journey.
...or at least distract myself with a book.
No comments:
Post a Comment