The Drafts Folder: How the Pandemic Changed My Reading Experience

Since I only do my Impressions post every other Wednesday, I thought I’d keep things interesting and dig into my drafts and random blog titles I’ve found written in my planner over the past couple of years. There are a lot of them, and I don’t even know what some of them were supposed to be about, so they’ll be alternating with the Impressions post until I’ve finished amusing myself with them. And maybe you, if I’m lucky.

Oh, look, another post harkening back to the early days of the pandemic. Delightful.

So, how did the pandemic change my reading experience? I have no idea. I don’t remember. I’ve been living in a “the kids have been in the classroom for about 7 months” bliss. Most days, it’s just my cat and me rattling around. Okay, I’m rattling around and she’s snuggled up in her cubby, sleeping in peace. This is my new reality, at least until something else happens and life shuts down, in which case I will lie down and not get up because the first time around was hard enough.

Fortunately, I do recall that I did a lot of reading. There were days when I got to read because my daughter was napping and my son had class online. There were other days when both of them were just so tired of me and having to do school stuff that they kept to themselves and left me with nothing except the company of books. And then there was every single night where I read whatever I was reading to my daughter at bed time. Actually, I still do that.

I remember days when I would get distracted, when reading during the day just didn’t really happen because my brain was too tired. But I also remember those days when I drifted into a book and must have drifted out because somehow I’m here. Those were the days I loved best, when I felt like I was a part of the story, inside the world and running free.

Oh, maybe that’s what I meant to write about. My imagination must have been in overdrive since I didn’t have much time for any creative writing. Most of the time when I picked up a book, I was just magically transported there. Everything came to life in my head and there were times when I thought I could feel that apple on the table if I just reached far enough. I wondered if it was because I was just picking up better books, but it was probably because I was desperate for something that wasn’t reality.

Anyways, I don’t really remember where I was going with this topic. I do know there was a shift in how I read and perceived stories, but I don’t think it actually had a lasting impact. I’m reading the way I remember I always read. Some books suck me in and others don’t. Some spring to life and others just fall flat. I’m very happy to have gotten so many rich reading experiences, but daily life now isn’t as stressful as it used to be, so reading is less an escape from life and more a daydream of possibilities.

A little short this time, but I really don’t have much more to say. What was your reading experience like during the pandemic?

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