When I go driving I stay in my lane

Commuting is just a way of life for me; it has been for years. I spend about 2 and a half hours on the road every day, during the week. It doesn't really bother me anymore--I've learned how to handle stop and go traffic without going insane. I basically just take a deep breath and learn to cope by realizing that it's out of my control.

My sanity also depends on talk radio-- KFI640 am. I listen to Bill Handel in the mornings, and John and Ken in the afternoons. (I greatly despise Rush Limbaugh and Dr. Laura, so don't get the wrong idea about me.) Actually, KFI is so informative and interesting that sometimes it makes me look forward to my drive. Now that I've been listening to it I have a much greater understanding of politics and world events. This radio station was vital in keeping me from becoming a liberal wacko in college-- a tragic fate for many in my age group.

But as of late I found myself getting sick of constant talk radio. I tried to mix things up with music, but since I listen to my ipod all day at work that got tedious as well. I started to get depressed about the hours of my life that were being wasted in the car. I needed to find a way to make the most of my weekly commute. That's when I first gave audiobooks a try.

At first I was skeptical about the whole audiobook-thing. I thought, isn't that just cheating? Will it be hard to listen to the words and get the same level of understanding? Once I listen to a book, will I really be able to say that I read it? Since then I have listened to three books, and I've come to the conclusion that it's a great way to squeeze in some extra reading when I'm sick of talk radio. Plus, it gives me a chance to discover some books that I might not have had the motivation to read. The best part is that I don't feel like my time in the car is just wasted. I've actually accomplished something during my commute!

I won't just listen to any book, though. My reading ethic is somewhat complicated, but basically I feel that audiobooks should be either non-fiction, or fiction that is plot-driven without being extremely literary in nature. For example, I don't think that listening to an audiobook of Bronte's Wuthering Heights would be a good way to comprehend such a literary masterpiece. That is the kind of text that needs to be read and re-read in order to appreciate its meaning. On the other hand, I would have no problem listening to an Anne Rice or Stephen King audiobook, because I don't feel that it's written at a level of complexity that requires my full attention. Obviously when I'm driving my mind will be doing two things a once.

Non-fiction audiobooks are perfect for me, because I don't have the patience to sit down and read them but it's easy and fun for me to listen to them. I can explore historical topics, biographies of criminals and celebrities, and instructional texts. I just listened to Helen Morrison's audiobook on her experiences with serial killers--which is a topic that I was very excited to learn more about. I also tried out an instructional audiobook that taught French lessons, which was fun and surprisingly effective.