​Reading books, long stories in newspapers or magazines appears to be a goner. Most people don’t do it anymore.
 
We get our news in bursts through social media outlets or 8-second blurbs on TV. Our attention span reacts accordingly, shortening up.
 
I recently sent a lengthy article from the newspaper to a close friend. He replied, “This is too long. I won’t read it. Give me the summary.” So, I did.
 
But, I shouldn’t have had to do that. Sending the article to him implied it had a high level of interesting and insightful points. Reading it would have kept him engaged.

Sadly, this is but one of many examples along these lines I could cite. Several years back, a coworker was riding with me in a car and stated something that made absolutely no sense based on analyzing news coverage at the time. Another coworker challenged his perspective, asking, “Don’t you read?”
 
His reply was, “No. I just look at social media.”
 
Reading lengthier writing (fiction or non-fiction) is a growing part of my life these days. I do it to relax, entertain, learn. It’s become a staple during certain periods of the day, with many benefits.
 
Most importantly, good lengthy writing absorbs your attention span and forces you to step outside yourself. That means you think. You dig into the storyline.
 
Through that process, you also relax. This, to me, has become the huge selling point to read more and more – you reduce personal stress.
 
I find myself calmer, taking time to think through the plot or the actions, working my way through what is happening in a novel or determining the main take-aways in a piece of non-fiction. All of those benefits help me stay sane in our fast-paced and crazy world.
 
Savoring a book means you taste it. You inhale it. For example, I recently finished “Woman Last Seen,” by Adele Parks, and “Free Love” by Tessa Hadley. There’s that cliché line about, “I couldn’t put the book down.”
 
I haven’t been able to say that about any book in a long time, despite having read a lot in any given year. What Parks’ and Hadley’s novels did was build suspense, keep you guessing, push you to figure out what the next twist would be. Beyond that, each compelled you to turn the pages. You did not want to put either down.

There’s a lot to be said for any type of entertainment that so thoroughly grabs your attention span and locks you into your easy chair. When you consider all the options available today to distract your attention span, it’s not hard to see why reading is declining, particularly material that requires deeper thought and concentration.
 
We live in a fast-paced world, from the cars we drive to the speed of information transferal. Reading lengthy pieces slows you down. It takes you away from the attention-seeking swirl of images, slogans, logos and snippets of words.
 
When’s the last time you couldn’t put a book down? It’s happened to me twice in the past month, and I can’t wait to find that magic again. Keep seeking. 

​When you have a physical malady for a long period of time and you finally decide to go to the doctor to get it diagnosed, why do the symptoms seem to dissipate after you’ve made the decision to meet with a doctor? Is it just me, or is there something involved psychologically in the human condition that releases pain once you’ve decided to seek a doctor’s advice on something that’s been bothering you for a period of time?

I asked that question recently after meeting with an orthopedic guy. In October 2020, I did serious yardwork, overextending my right shoulder chopping buckthorn with a power cutter. After two weeks of mauling the invasive species, I was done for the year, but the pain was not. It went on. And on and on. 
 
It seemed if I stopped the action causing the pain, it would go away. So, I waited it out. I iced, heated, took ibuprofen.  All three helped a touch, but no longer term improvement. I rested, waited out November and December, then realizing that was not enough went into physical therapy in January of 2021.
 
This led to five months of ultrasound, multiple stretches, massage, dry needling, cupping and strengthening exercises. The shoulder got better. I dialed down on the number of sessions a month with the physical therapist for my diagnosed “frozen shoulder.”
 
The therapist felt I was back to about 85 percent of normal, but I didn’t feel that way. Yes, much better than when I started, but still tight, frequently sore, with periods of intense pain if I accidently moved the shoulder the wrong way. This continued until February 2022 – more improvement, but not close to what would be considered “pre-injury status.” Having continued approximately 15 daily stretches since first starting therapy, I had hoped for more improvement over those 16 months.
 
At my annual physical, I discussed the ongoing pain and limitations, and got the appointment to see the ortho guy. He gave me a quick diagnosis, not unexpected, that my shoulder was bone on bone, and I had long-term arthritic deterioration based on heavy use of my right arm over the years. Options were a painkiller, keep doing the physical therapy, heat, stretch, ice. Long-term, if the pain gets intolerable, you can look at a shoulder replacement (not desirable).
 
When I spoke with him, I asked him about the psychological and emotional issues of deciding to see a doctor and whether patients mentioned to him a lessening of pain after finally making that decision to get a diagnosis. That was really all I wanted – to know “what” I had and what that meant for me in the years ahead. From there, I can manage it.
 
He agreed with me, and said that solely the fact of “knowing” what you have lessens pain. The brain overcomes the body. Certainly, the pain doesn’t completely go away. But, when the expert gives you an explanation, some juices are released in the brain and body that relax you and make you feel better – as if you have more control.
 
I’ve noticed this syndrome at other times. Going on vacation and an injury that was bothering me for weeks went away quickly when I wasn’t worrying about my job or the day-to-day grind. Feeling better after seeing doctor and getting a diagnosis less dangerous than some killer disease you speculated you had.
 
The mind takes care of business. Control it, and you can reduce your pain symptoms. The ortho doc agreed, citing multiple situations where he’s seen that happen. I’m not the expert, so I’m taking it from the doctor. Find out what you’ve got, reduce stress, relax to the best of your abilities and stick after it. 

​There are many things we can choose to be disenchanted with in today’s world. Conversely, there are many things we can be positive about or choose to let them engage your interest.
 
Over 20 years ago, we lived in Columbus, NE. My job led our family there. During that time (five years of living there), I came to find something that absorbed me in a good way, something I’d never considered previously. I’m finding the same thing occurring with me today.
 
Nebraska is a small state. There are two reasonable-sized cities in Omaha and Lincoln, but after that you’re looking at a number of hubs with populations ranging from about 20,000 to 50,000. Those living in the country surrounding those small cities drove there for their doctors, food, jobs, places of worship. Most of the state was wide open with low population density. There were and are no professional sports teams in Nebraska.

That led to a certain insane support of the University of Nebraska football team, with the stadium itself becoming the third largest city in the state during game day. Given the spread-out nature of the state’s population (and lack of pro sports), high school athletics received a lot of attention in the newspaper. You could follow the local kid from their early high school games, watching how that community finished in their conference or moved through the state playoffs.
 
The ability to read about and follow local athletes as they developed through high school was something that I found, and still find, extremely enjoyable. You recognized the names. You got to know a bit about the community when the Omaha or Lincoln papers would do the occasional story on the success of a sophomore soccer player. You rooted for that individual.
 
There’s a certain purity to that – appreciating the talents of an evolving athlete who plays for no other reason than the love of the sport. The kids worked hard, they developed, the teams coalesced.
 
It wasn’t like a professional environment, tainted through money or publicity. Or, even like the current college Division I scene with its business-like atmosphere. Instead, it was about the kid(s) playing a game they loved, doing their best, and wanting to win for their teammates and communities.
 
I found that feeling again recently, having watched a local high school basketball player take his team on a deep run his senior year, then heading off to Wright State, where the team just made the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament. I remembered the incredible high school run, and then there he was on television leading his team in the NCAA tourney, and it warmed my heart. I felt a pride that he’d helped his college team accomplish a bigger goal.
 
There is far too much commercializing in big-time college and professional sports. We all lose something in that environment, including the athletes. The pressure and publicity surrounding contracts and raising profiles dilutes the desire to root for teams and individuals.
 
MANY years ago, my personal support of specific pro teams took a nosedive as contracts accelerated, prices went up, and free agency spiraled. I lost the ability to track the people I liked watching.
 
The high school world in a smaller town atmosphere brings back your desire. I’m invigorated watching high school sports. The talent and intensity might surprise those of you who haven’t been to a contest lately. But, I would urge you to give it a shot. It might enchant you.