Reading

We're going to get along fine

I made a new friend last night. I get the feeling we’re going to be spending a fair amount of time together over the next few years.

After dropping Emily off at youth group last night I had a couple of hours to kill. I was already fairly close to where we’re going to live once we eventually move so I decided to drive past our new house before dropping in to the local cafe. It’s about a kilometre from the new house and I reckon I might be seeing a lot more of that cafe.

I ordered a long black and a melting moment biscuit then sat down with a book I need to read for a review on my radio programme. It felt like home, or at least a home away from home. The staff were friendly, the atmosphere relaxed, the decor warm, and the coffee was just right.

Things don’t always turn out as you plan but I can imagine that I’ll be back at that cafe very soon. I can imagine spending time there alone with a good book or three. I can imagine taking Pauline there for a bit of time out together. I can imagine taking Emily and James there for a treat now and then. I can imagine drinking coffee there with cycling friends that I haven’t even met yet. If you’re in the area you might drop in and have a coffee with me there too.

That cafe and me, I think we’re going to get along just fine.

If you enjoyed this post please use the buttons above to share.

Holiday Reading

May 11th, 2009

by Rodney Olsen.

2 comments

One of the things I got to do while I was on holiday for the last couple of weeks was to read. I love the opportunity to take large chunks of time to sit down with a coffee and a good book.

Amazing how refreshing it can be.

I really need to make time to do that on a more regular basis. I can’t just go off on holiday every week or so but I can set aside time for a mini holiday inside a book.

As well as my Bible, newspapers and a new cycling magazine, I read Mad Church Disease by Anne Jackson and got a long way through Shantaram, a novel that’s about the size of a three story building.

I’ll be saying more about both books in the coming days.

I’m hoping that our children will develop a healthy reading habit. I think it’s one of those things that makes life a little bit more worth living.

Unfortunately, while I was a quite advanced reader from a young age, the habit of curling up in a corner with a good book was never really encouraged in our home when I was growing up. It wasn’t discouraged but it wasn’t really something that my parents did and so I never ‘caught’ the habit. All these years later I’m still trying to overcome that and place more importance on reading.

What was the ‘reading culture’ like in your home when you were young? Has that carried on with you? Are you a voracious reader or do you have to make an effort? What advice would you give for someone wanting to develop a healthy reading habit?

If you enjoyed this post please use the buttons above to share.

I was that guy

Dec 1st, 2008

by Rodney Olsen.

9 comments

I’ve seen him plenty of times before.

He’s usually there when I’m having coffee with my cycling mates on Saturday mornings. I’ve seen him as I’ve hurriedly walked past cafés on my way somewhere else. He’s been there when I’ve been enjoying a quiet cuppa with Pauline. He’s there in shopping centres, airports and cafés everywhere.

Sometimes he’s tall and middle aged. Other times he’s a little shorter and fairly young. He’s bald or with a full head of hair. He’s dozens of different people but I always want to be him.

Yesterday I was that guy.

I was the guy sitting on my own in the café, sipping a long black while reading a good book. There’s something very therapeutic about sitting in a busy café, letting the world buzz around nearby as you bury yourself in the pages.

I had to be at Mia Café in Inglewood yesterday for a Christmas afternoon tea. The rest of the family had to be across the other side of town so Pauline dropped me off an hour and a half early. That gave me the opportunity to partake in the magnificent pastime that I see so often yet so rarely enjoy.

Maybe I need to make that one of my New Year’s Resolutions for 2009. “Spend more time alone in cafés.” In 2009 I intend to be that guy a lot more often.

If you enjoyed this post please use the buttons above to share.

Summer Reading Challenge

Dec 6th, 2007

by Rodney Olsen.

1 comment

Today marks the first day of the Premier’s Summer Reading Challenge 2007-08.

Over the summer holidays children around Western Australia are being challenged to spend time reading. By registering for the Challenge, children can win a range of prizes. I also see that parents who read to their child will go in a special prize draw to win one of two iPods.

Both Emily and James will be taking part once again so I’ll need to encourage them to make an extra effort to read over the coming weeks. Both are great readers already so it shouldn’t be such a difficult task.

The Challenge runs from the 6th of December to the 11th of February. Every child who successfully finishes the Challenge receives a certificate signed by the Premier.

I reckon it’s a great way to encourage kids to read but I’m wondering if I need to join in and start my own Summer Reading Challenge. Do you want to join me? What kind of target will you set yourself? How many books do you think you can read over the next couple of months?

I know that it’s not Summer for a lot of readers but surely Winter is a great time to curl up in your favourite chair with a book.