SILENCE IS GOLDEN.

Alright, I hate to go ranting about my pet peeves. I mean, I like to be positive and not complain. But seriously, this is called for. Here's the deal: every night for APUSH, I have to read and take notes from a college-level textbook. It's not impossible or anything, but it definitely takes a lot of concentration, and I pretty much need silence when I read if I'm going to retain anything. The most challenging part of the homework is finding a quiet spot to read. I generally prefer to sit in a chair with a hard surface for writing, like a desk or a table. Natural, right? Well, I've NEVER done homework at my desk in my room, and maybe that will change, but it just feels WEIRD. I mean, I SLEEP in there, it's not a spot to do homework, for goodness sake! Plus, there's TERRIBLE lighting in my room. My preferred spot is the kitchen because the counter is smooth for writing and the overhead lights are bright. The only problem is that the kitchen is kind of the community area in my house. People walk through there all the time, which would be something I could live with if my family would just be QUIET! It's one thing if people are just having a conversation around me, I can usually tune it out. The WORST is when I am OBVIOUSLY reading and concentrating and people feel the need to talk to ME!! I'm like, "Do you SEE me doing my homework??" I don't think it's a hard concept to respect people's quiet work time. I get that sometimes my parents want to "connect" or whatever. But when I'm doing my homework?? REALLY?? It drives me absolutely BONKERS! And it's not just my parents who irritate me when I'm reading. Even if I'm just reading a book at school, everyone asks "What are you reading?" And it's not like I want to be rude, but I honestly don't want to answer. People read to ESCAPE the world they're in, not to be bothered by it. I'm not trying to sound cynical or anti-social, but I think that there should be a little bit more respect for people who are obviously trying to focus and concentrate. Sometimes, you just want to be left alone.