I love reading.

I love filling my head with stories of far off places, future explorations, dragons, wizards, or fiction set in my favorite time period (WWII Europe). When I was in elementary school, I read almost nonstop. I remember when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was released; I locked myself in my room for 3 days to finish. (I know that's not the fastest time, but I had to stop to eat and move around.) I was in second place for about 3 years in our Accelerated Reading program at school, narrowly missing winning an iPod Nano when they were first released. However, as I grew older, and school took more time and brain power, and as I took on more responsibilities, my time for reading shrunk to nothing. I missed the reading. I missed the stories.

Why is reading so powerful to me? Well, I enjoyed the escape from my life. I enjoy being immersed in the lives and stories from other places that I may never get to visit. I have realized recently that reading is not the only activity that can do that for you.

Over the past two years, I have come to despise video games because of how much time they take from real life. People lock themselves in their rooms for hours at a time, just to play some stupid fake game that doesn't really matter. I always think of how much more productive people would be if video games did not exist. I have shed tears over various people's choices to play games over spending time with the people they love.

But wait just a minute. (This is what I have realized these past few days.) Refer back to my first paragraph. Compare the time spent. Compare the obsession. The interest. The stories. It's the same thing.

Why should I get upset at people who want an escape from reality? Isn't that what I do? Do I really have the right to judge others based on their choices? Just because their escape is different from mine. Just because they enjoy different activities than I do.

I don't have the right to do that, just like they don't have the right to judge me for my choice of reading. I do want to say that just because we have the choice of playing video games or reading or playing sports or singing or watching movies, doesn't mean we get to neglect our responsibilities. Maybe we can stay up late one night every now and then to binge watch a TV show or finish a book or game. I'm guilty of this as well, but it becomes a problem for everyone when someone neglects their responsibilities for an escape or a story. Balance is key.

Moving forward, I plan to "keep my cool" when it comes to video games. I won't judge, but I will support and encourage the choices, while still supporting and encouraging the responsibilities that need not be neglected.