It is said that reading allows us to immerse ourselves in stories other than our own, but it offers even more. Reading a book is like walking: these are activities anyone can engage in, as long as they take some time to be alone with themselves. Both can be interrupted whenever desired.
Walking benefits both the body and the mind, and the same is true for reading. These are activities that don’t demand intense concentration but require a sustained focus over time. When we stop, we cease walking; the same applies to reading—if we get distracted by other tasks or thoughts, we stop reading.
Walking and reading allow us to respect the natural rhythm of our body and mind. Each person engages in these activities at their own pace, which is invariably slower than the frantic speed of modern life. For us, tightly bound to the present, they represent a leap into the essence of being human—because taking 1,000 steps or reading 10 pages demands time. There’s no way to shorten this time with any of the electronic devices we usually rely on. No click can reduce this time.
This is time for ourselves, whether spent alone or with others, as demonstrated by walks with friends or group reading sessions. It’s a time where minutes, quarter-hours, and half-hours have meaning and cannot be compressed.
These activities take us to a world far removed from the everyday rush of obligations, emails, WhatsApp messages, and other distractions that keep us tethered to the present. They invite us to lift our heads and notice that there is much more to life.
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