I think reading in the morning is a good habit to cultivate. So many humans have become so accustomed to mindlessly scrolling through digital feeds of information simply waiting for a moment of high emotion to propagate to a pseudo-network of others for validation, it is juvenile and demeaning. Taking moments for yourself to read on one subject or to merely write out your own thoughts can help focus a person’s mind and orient themselves for the day.

I challenge everyone to resist the urge to look at your phone in the morning and set aside time to read a traditional, paper-bound book and/or journal your thoughts on paper. You may be surprised at the results.

Current books of focus:

• Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
• Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough
• The Proud Highway by Hunter S. Thompson
• A Christmas Memory, One Christmas, and The Thanksgiving Visitor by Truman Capote

It’s hard to believe it’s already August, time sneaks up on you like that. It feels just last week I signed my employment contract with the Questa del Rio News but it was actually seven months ago.

We are more than halfway through 2022.