I have an addiction

I am offiically spending my last week out in West Texas.  Even though it is not a full week as I will be headed home on Thursday evening it is still at least the last week where I will be spending a significant portion out in the desert of West Texas (I now have realized I wrote a very obnoxious run-on sentence).  I remember when I first came out here in the Summer of 2007.  And to have now done it for four straight summers is a true testament to what I believe is one of the best programs that I have ever been apart of.  While I could go on and on about this place (which I believe will probably come at another time) this post is not about that (hmmm this is not that maybe?)...

Instead this post is about my obsession with reading.  I read books like they are candy at a doctor's office (pre and post visit).  Literally, you give me a book and you ask me two days later about it and I can tell you almost word for word what that book was about.  Books are my faves.  In fact if I were to list what my favorite things are in the world (God/Jesus obviously being number 1, family #2..so we'll just give them star status with no numbers...even though I just numbered them) here is that order:

1. Books
2.Video Games
3.Computer Games
4.Sports (watching and playing)
5. Repeat 1-4 constantly....


Why such an obsession with books may you ask?  Well, when I was quite a young child I learned (through my mother of course) that reading would be a must in HER house.  In fact, I can fondly remember times where the t.v. would not come on for weeks at a time so that my sister and I would instead stuff our noses into some sort of book and become filled with words beyond knowledge.  Little did I know that reading would become such a huge part of my life.  It's amazing. If I want to go visit some country-I can find it in a book. Learn how to apologize (again) to Carla in her love language (who makes this stuff up)-BAM (Emeril style) I find it in a book.  Want to learn how to stop your fiance's toilet from overflowing with water because you stuffed it after your Bar-B-Que dinner-then you find it in a book that you read while causing the overflow of the toilet (just saying). But here is the downside of my love of reading and people knowing that I love to read.  They always want to recommend/think you should read these books that you have NO INTEREST in reading.  I said I love to read NOT love to read everything (O.K. if there are words somewhere I will read it and then play this little game with words that only a few of my friends know that I do).  So when I get these silly recommendations (for example, "Hey Josh you should read this book on how to build a car engine") then I go to number 2 or 3.  However....

Going to number 2 or 3 sets me back. Because then people think I am just lazy.  Video games and computer games are another wonderful thing.  You see...while people like to take out their anger/aggression/being upset at people by either gossiping, backstapping, talking beyond peoples back, or doing things that could lead them to life in prision...I instead pop in the latest version (or an older version if I am feeling nostalgic) of Call of Duty, hop online and immerse myself in my own little fantasy world...headset and all...And for those that believe that video games are the evil of society that make kids or in particular boys grow up to be professional students with no job, lots to read, and a brighter future than you can shake a stick at...then I say to those people...you are right...(my future actually isn't that bright...it looks rather gloomy...repeat after me D-I-S-S-E-R-T-A-T-I-O-N)....I'm lucky enough to have a fiance/soon-to-be wife who understands my obsession with 1-4 and can tolerate it to some extent...sure we "might" have been late to a few things because I happend to be playing a video game and refused to pause it in fear that I might not be able to get that magic sword, return to the mythical fantasy world, or finally defeat Mike Tyson in Punch Out (Sooooo close)....

Oh and my fiance/soon-to-be wife likes sports...which is awesome!...I win!...