Story of my Life: "I've read a book about that"

Pretty well known fact about me: I like to read. Like, a lot. Being an avid reader is like being a serious runner.

When I'm running a lot, it's all I can think about. When will I be able to run next? How many miles can I fit in to my hectic day? I want to run right now... My entire body anticipates the hour or so I spend running every day... and then the run itself is tough, tougher, but when I push through the pain it's exhilarating.

Well, the same goes for reading. If I make a serious effort to be reading things that interest me, I'm able to shut out distractions and read... and read, and read. I'll go through one book, and then want to start another- and another- and another. I like it when people see me reading a book that isn't required. They're like, totally impressed by it.

Well anyways, yesterday was the last day of school for me this week (since I go to a Baptist University... they give us a four day weekend for Easter... it's absolute heaven). Well, I went to my seminar class and about half of the class had skipped, so there weren't many people there, but it made our discussion so much better! (Dr. D- don't hate me for what I'm about to onsay) Most of the girls who skipped were the girls that don't really contribute intelligently to conversation, if you know what I mean.

To continue, I have to share with you that I had one of those "it's almost a long weekend" attitudes... you know, where you've worked so hard all week and you're exhausted and all you can think about is sleeping in or playing outside or eating a homemade meal or whatever. Well... I get a more than a little obnoxious during this time. I tend to be very active in discussion and then get a little mean or a little sarcastic or something. I don't really know how to describe it.

So yesterday, we were discussing the history of child labor and sweatshops and whether or not we thought that Americans care about buying clothing made in America. (Americans don't really care- but they should). Well we started by talking about how at the turn of the twentieth century, factory jobs in America were good jobs and how women would come into the cities from the country to work in them. It was kind of like going to college- women would live in dorms, play bridge and drink lemonade after work, and then meet a man and get married. Well, eventually, the factory owners were taken over by profit-driven business tycoons, and these quaint little factories turned into sweatshops. Well, I had to raise my little hand and say, "well Dr. D, have you read "Sister Carrie"?" (Sister Carrie is a novel by Theodore Dreiser... it was written FOREVER AGO, and I bought it in high school because I read about it in my American History book. talk about nerdy.) I kept going... telling my brief recollection of what the book was actually about, pretty much just talking without saying anything important. Come to think of it, I don't think I ever actually read more than thirty pages of this book. Oops.

Continuing our discussion, we moved on to child labor (I went off on one of my pro-child labor rants) and eventually we began talking about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911, and after speaking for a few minutes, my stupid long weekend attitude made me say "I've read a book about that too", in a tone that just isn't my norm. I hope I didn't come across as seriously rude, but I feel like I may have. At least I was telling the truth- I did read a book about it. (And I actually read the entire thing!)

So today is Friday, and I'm enjoying the beginning of my long weekend, and thankfully my bitchy attitude is long gone. I may go home and read a book today.