CHAPTER CHALLENGE

My son’s elementary school has begun a new program called the 100 Chapter Challenge.

Each student is encouraged to read 100 chapters of fiction or nonfiction between now and May 24. I figure that is about a chapter a day, with lots of cushion.

My son should have no problem meeting the goal. He takes a book to read almost everywhere he goes.

He reads in the car. He reads waiting for the school bus. He reads on vacation. I pry books from his hands because he falls asleep reading in bed.

I’m constantly reminding him that we don’t read books at the dinner table. We don’t read books during his brother’s band concerts. We don’t read books at someone else’s house when we are invited to a party.

I can’t leave the house without my keys and purse; he can’t leave without his book and baseball cap.

He is an avid reader, constantly discovering truths about his surroundings and the world through the words on a page.

As I looked at the empty grid his teacher sent home to tally chapters during this event, I realized how little I read literature anymore.

I used to be more like my son. I got ready for school with a blow dryer in one hand and a paperback in the other. I could spend a whole afternoon sitting outside sipping on lemonade and reading fiction. Each night, I faithfully read a chapter or more before turning off my bedroom lights.

I miss the solid feeling of holding a book, the joy of reading a surprise ending and the pleasure of getting to know characters in classical works. I want to travel through the pages of a novel. I want to cry, laugh and take risks just by turning a page. I want to satisfy my curiosity and judge people’s actions without shame.

As an adult, I’ve become a snippet reader – clicking on pieces of news on the internet and flipping through simple magazines. Surrounded by responsibilities, I feel guilty if I sit down for a moment during the daytime hours, and even guiltier if I sit down to read a best-selling novel.

But reading is as essential to my quality of life as vitamins and exercise. Taking in a good book relaxes me, entertains me, educates me, and stretches my mind and creativity. Indulging in a well-written story is so much better than watchingTV.

So I’m turning off the evening sitcoms, printing out an extra grid and joining the 100 Chapter Challenge with my son. I can’t wait to see how our story ends.

-- cawk