I had some minor eye surgery a few weeks ago. Pre-op and post-op instructions were clear, manageable and complete. No driving, bending. lifting anything over 20 pounds, all the usual stuff. But there was one HUUUGE exception. They didn’t tell me I wouldn’t be allowed to read for 24 hours. Or work on the computer. They told me this only AFTERWARDS. Why on earth would they not mention something so crucial? At least crucial to me. They probably had no idea they were dealing with someone who has a reading addiction. There was nothing like that on the pre-op questionnaire. Some of my friends didn’t get why I was so devastated. I could still watch TV, right? And it’s only for 24 hours. Easy for them to say. Look, if I’m alone and unoccupied, it’s hard for me to go 24 minutes without access to something to read. I’m the kind of person who ALWAYS has something to read. You know, just in case. Just in case the doctor is running late. Just in case traffic is light and I get where I’m going way early. Just in case I have, for whatever reason, a few minutes to kill. If I don’t need it, so what? Carrying a small book, magazine, or an e-book is a minor extra in my tote bag. If I forget to bring something, I start to fret. I read while waiting for the previews to start at the movies. I read during commercial breaks on TV. (Okay, maybe I’m a little cuckoo.)

I got through it, of course. My wonderful friends called me so I could pass the time in long telephone conversations. But here’s the thing: if I had known ahead of time, I could have prepared. With an audio book or podcast ready to go at the push of a button, or rather a tap on the screen. Well, I won’t be caught short again. And I now have a set of quality earbuds to prove it.