R is for Reading & Regret

This year I decided not to tie myself to a theme.  I wanted to do something that felt more like writing rather than composing posts.  I didn’t want it to be a story that had to be followed from start to finish so what I’ve ended up with are: “Conversations in my Head”.

What are you reading Wendy?

The newspaper.

But doesn’t that mean you’ll be reading about the B word?

No I’ll skip anything contentious apart from the pub quiz which hubby and I always like to do.

I bet he usually wins.

Not always and sometimes he messes up so he loses points.

How? 

He checks the answer to each question as we go along so sometimes he inadvertently sees the answer to the next question so then, unless I’m absolutely certain he would have known the answer he can’t get a point for it.

You’re very competitive.

Sometimes but not always.

You do a lot of reading though. 

Yes but that’s not competitive.  Challenging maybe but not competitive.

How does that work?

Well I like to challenge myself to read a certain number of books each year but I set that based on my abilities not against anyone else.  I’m also working my way through a reading list.

Ooo is my book on that list?

It is actually.  So that’s one I was able to tick off.  And one less thing for you to complain about.

But why do the list.  There must be some books on there that you’d never want to read.

It’s my way of challenging myself.  I know I’m not a daredevil, or particularly adventurous by your standards Alice, but pushing myself to read different genres and authors extends my knowledge and gives me a sense of satisfaction.  I envy people who have read a lot of classics, especially when they can remember the characters and plots.

You sound as if you consider yourself less educated.

Well I didn’t go to university like a lot of my friends.

But you could have done.

Well maybe.  I had the offer of a place but decided while doing my final exams at school that I’d had enough of exams so I didn’t really try hard enough.  With the results I got I wouldn’t have got in to my first choice of uni.

But if you’d gone to uni your life might have been very different.  You probably wouldn’t have met Nick so there’d be no children let alone grandchildren.  How can you regret that?

For once Alice you’ve said something sensible!

Ok.  I won’t mention all those soppy romantic novels you used to read.

Alice!