I wonder how many days of summer there’ll be this year.
I am a huge fan of sunny, summer days. I can spend all day outside reading. I probably get through more books in the summer than at any other time.
I can’t focus on books when I am in rehearsal, learning lines has to come first and sometimes the words of a book can crowd out a script. When lines learning, I will sleep with my script on the bed next to me in the hope that the words will somehow creep off the page into my head whilst I sleep.
I am good at learning lines and roleplay briefs. I find it easy. Or perhaps I used to. I remember one summer learning the whole of Lady Macbeth for a production that was to be rehearsed over the course of a week or so and then toured for many weeks after that. I wanted to be off the book (lines learnt) by the time rehearsals started because it was going to be a tall order to get them all crammed in otherwise. I did it. It was a bit of a nightmare job but I think I was a good Lady M.
I used to be a reader in bed at night but over the years that has become very intermittent. I do sometimes now listen to audio books which I never used to enjoy. I still prefer to see the words in print as I have a visual connection with things which is probably stronger than my aural one. And I’m a voice over artist!
The remaining constant in my reading pattern is the sunshine devouring of books and, to some extent, magazines.
I missed summer 2009 because of my dx coming in June. I missed a lot that year. I think there was sunshine. People would visit me in hospital wearing summer clothes and the sun out of the ward window beautifully lit up the neighbouring cemetery. Nothing like knowing where you might be going.
I don’t exactly remember what happened to last year’s summer. Perhaps we didn’t really have one in the sense of lazy summer days. Perhaps I was too depressed to notice.
Now I want to experience every moment of summer I can. I want to be outside. I want to read whilst lazing in the sun. I want to have picnics, bbqs (vegetarian for me), strolls by rivers and canals, visits to the seaside. I feel like I’m owed a summer and I intend to have one. Once Spring is over.
(Whilst we’re waiting - Here Comes the Sun)
(Whilst we’re waiting - Here Comes the Sun)
I like how you say you could not read books while in rehearsal. I couldn't read anything other than my textbooks while at university... There was only so much space in my head for new information and too much would make it overflow and leak out. I think as you get older, important information trickles deeper down and its there when you want it, leaving spare room for short-term stuff likes books.
ReplyDeleteLast summer was OK. We should do a trip to the seaside again for kite flying.