"For it was books that made me feel that perhaps I wasn't completely alone."
I first met my best friend when I was in kindergarten. I was visiting the school library during my vacations and there she was, surrounded by a pile of my favorite books. That's probably why today, sixteen years later she's my best friend in all of mankind.
Growing up, I wasn't exactly a social bee. I had a disturbing childhood and a high school life, parts of which would safely pass off for a nightmare. I have some horrendous accounts from my adolescence that I have happily put away under the 'Please Ignore' tab in my memory.
Throughout this tumultuous journey I've had so far, I've had one steady source of strength; my books. Be it Archie's, Roald Dahl, Nora Roberts, Nicholas Sparks, Abdul Kalam, just about anything and anybody. If it was there, in print, I wanted to read it.
There's something so alluring about the idea of an alternate reality! Living life through someone else's soul, peering through the glasses of another being and recognizing your heart beating for someone else's sorrow is an experience that helps you grow as a person.
When I read a book, I've lived in a different part of the world, seen a different era and spoken a new language; all in a matter of a few hours and each different from another. Books are a uniquely portable magic. What fool would let go of one? Or worse yet, never pick one up?
I don't drink and I don't smoke. I haven't felt the need for either supplements to transport me to a world of make-belief. I prefer what I like to call a book hangover. The inability to get past the world of the last book I read is much better than the throbbing headache an alcohol influenced hangover gives you.
I remember, when I first read Harry Potter, I was probably just nine years old. I couldn't get over the tragedy of not being a witch and I looked down upon myself for being a Muggle. I distinctly recall having spoken the Hogwarts lingo for a long long time after.
Seven out of ten people my age prefer movies over books these days. I confess to have judged every single person who has frowned when I say I'm reading a book. Give me one reason not to and I'll give you ten as to why it's only legit.
Books can create a gravitational force within you that drags you into the world you're reading about. The protagonist's heartache becomes yours. You laugh, cry and fume along with him. You can feel the butterflies in your stomach when he has a romantic moment. You sob away to glory when his loved one is torn away from him. You cuss under your breath when the antagonist strikes his signature move. In a turn of pages, his world becomes yours. Between the pages of a book is the loveliest place to be.
Without books, you have only lived one life. Loved one man. Weathered one era. Encountered only so many people. Seen only so much. Learned only so much. Felt only so much.
For you see,
It isn't always about the happy ending. Sometimes, it's about the story.
Life is too short to live it just once. Pick one off the shelf. Delve into another world. Create your own portal and travel to a world of your choice. Reality may not give you that option, but an alternate reality will.
If you had one wish, where would you go and what are you waiting for?
I first met my best friend when I was in kindergarten. I was visiting the school library during my vacations and there she was, surrounded by a pile of my favorite books. That's probably why today, sixteen years later she's my best friend in all of mankind.
Growing up, I wasn't exactly a social bee. I had a disturbing childhood and a high school life, parts of which would safely pass off for a nightmare. I have some horrendous accounts from my adolescence that I have happily put away under the 'Please Ignore' tab in my memory.
Throughout this tumultuous journey I've had so far, I've had one steady source of strength; my books. Be it Archie's, Roald Dahl, Nora Roberts, Nicholas Sparks, Abdul Kalam, just about anything and anybody. If it was there, in print, I wanted to read it.
There's something so alluring about the idea of an alternate reality! Living life through someone else's soul, peering through the glasses of another being and recognizing your heart beating for someone else's sorrow is an experience that helps you grow as a person.
When I read a book, I've lived in a different part of the world, seen a different era and spoken a new language; all in a matter of a few hours and each different from another. Books are a uniquely portable magic. What fool would let go of one? Or worse yet, never pick one up?
I don't drink and I don't smoke. I haven't felt the need for either supplements to transport me to a world of make-belief. I prefer what I like to call a book hangover. The inability to get past the world of the last book I read is much better than the throbbing headache an alcohol influenced hangover gives you.
I remember, when I first read Harry Potter, I was probably just nine years old. I couldn't get over the tragedy of not being a witch and I looked down upon myself for being a Muggle. I distinctly recall having spoken the Hogwarts lingo for a long long time after.
Seven out of ten people my age prefer movies over books these days. I confess to have judged every single person who has frowned when I say I'm reading a book. Give me one reason not to and I'll give you ten as to why it's only legit.
Books can create a gravitational force within you that drags you into the world you're reading about. The protagonist's heartache becomes yours. You laugh, cry and fume along with him. You can feel the butterflies in your stomach when he has a romantic moment. You sob away to glory when his loved one is torn away from him. You cuss under your breath when the antagonist strikes his signature move. In a turn of pages, his world becomes yours. Between the pages of a book is the loveliest place to be.
Without books, you have only lived one life. Loved one man. Weathered one era. Encountered only so many people. Seen only so much. Learned only so much. Felt only so much.For you see,
It isn't always about the happy ending. Sometimes, it's about the story.
Life is too short to live it just once. Pick one off the shelf. Delve into another world. Create your own portal and travel to a world of your choice. Reality may not give you that option, but an alternate reality will.
If you had one wish, where would you go and what are you waiting for?
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