27 Mar 2020 | 04:40am IST
Time for that book you always wanted to read, but ‘life’ came in the way
The lockdown is an opportunity for people to catch up on things they would not have the opportunity to do so in normal times. For quite a few people it is time to read that book which had tickled their fancy.
These are strange times undoubtedly. Life as we know it has been stopped. No more waking up early in the morning and then rushing out to catch that bus or train which will ensure you reach your place of work on time. Or leave the house early to avoid the early morning rush. Now one has time to wake up at ease and laze around before getting out of bed. Yes, one is worried about ensuring essentials like food and toiletries are available but it is now a time for staying put. And to do things one did not have time to do earlier. Like perhaps watching a movie or even better reading a book.
As the body needs food to ensure it functions properly, the brain needs nourishment too. Reading is that nourishment. For several people reading a book provides great joy. Some read fiction and then there are those who prefer non-fiction. Genres are a plenty for sure but for these people the sheer pleasure of reading is one of the great joys of life. Now with the lockdown in force everyone has time to indulge in the things they love doing.
Flossy Santos a banker is reading a book by Steve Nagamato called “Talk like a winner”. She said “I am a branch manager in a bank and it is a very hectic schedule and I don’t really get the time. Even now we are open but we close early and I can then get the time to read this book. Pity it was a virus that gave me the time to read this book”. For some it is all about a book and for others it can even be a report.
Bernice D’souza, employed with the Niti Aayog, the lockdown has not meant a reduction in her hectic schedule. Operating out of home, she is reading a lot of reports and is keeping herself up to date. She is however finding time to read 5 am Club by Robin Sharma. Writers have to conduct a great deal of research before the set about writing a book or an article. Sometimes they read for pleasure and that is exactly what JoJo D souza is doing right now. He is reading Arundhati Roy’s God of small things and intends to read Harry Potter. He said “I have that book on the bookshelf for a while and I hope to now find time to read it.” He said for him reading was a very important activity and it was all about having patience and time to indulge in it.
She may be a beauty queen who is an MC at corporate events and maintains a hectic schedule but Keziah Caldeira is now finding time for herself. She said “I am now in the right frame of mind to sit and read The Secret by Ronda Byrne. It is so peaceful now and I can read a few pages and mull over it”. Corporate life today is full of stress and very long hours at the office and days out on the road.
Jason Fernandes, Co-Founder and COO at AEToken and Crypto Entrepreneur/Analyst and Blockchain Speaker he is now reading “Hit Refresh” by Satya Nadella. He smiled and said the GMA had gifted him this book at their Management Day 2019 event and now he had the chance to read it. He said he intended to spend the 21 days energising himself for the battles ahead.
A man who is in the forefront in the battle to defeat the virus is Dr Lloyd D’souza who is now busy conducting conferences via video with scores of his patients. Between those consultations, he is busy playing video games and reading electronic journals to brush up on his medical knowledge. He said “There is so much information regarding coronavirus which is available on line. I have to keep up with all the developments. I don’t really have the time to read books, but as I said, reading medical stuff is important for me and my patients”
Books for them, are what serials or video games are, for a whole lot of people. It is entertaining as well as educative and one can only hope their numbers increase.
