This past week I have had a lot of free time. Since the weather has been, for the most part, beautiful, I decided to spend a lot of time sitting outside reading. Let me just tell you that doing this has been absolutely wonderful. I get to enjoy the warmth of the sun, feel the cool breeze, and get a lot of fresh air. I feel like this has been something that I have been needing to do for a while. Just taking a moment for myself and enjoying a good book. Getting to experience all the wonderful things I am learning from the book. This has me thinking that I haven’t been reading as much as I possibly could, which is something that I should change.
Granted I have never been the bookworm type. Not even in the slightest way. I actually at one point in my life was below the proper reading level for my age. Possibly because I never did enough reading to build my skills as a reader. But as I grew older, I started to enjoy reading a little bit more. But never reading that I was required to do. Not for an English class or even a subject textbook. I started to find that my favorite genre to read for fun is romance. Which mostly has to do with the fact that I am a hopeless romantic. Whenever I could find a book interesting enough, I would indulge in some reading. However, I never get through the books fast enough. Sometimes I take a couple of months to do so. Which is not a bad thing. I am still reading.
Reading is reading. Whether it may be that you read a little or read a lot. It’s important for us to take the time in our day and devote it to reading. Obviously, there are the scientific benefits of reading. Makes you smarter, expands your vocabulary, sharpens the mind, etc. But there are also other benefits from reading. You get to let your mind wander to another place.You forget about all the other things happening in your life for a moment. You become a part of the story. The relaxation. It’s a great way to fall asleep faster (unless you stay up all night reading). The pride of reading every last page in a novel. You learn something about yourself. I also find that reading makes me more aware of who I am and what it is I want out of life.
I challenge you, my reader, to read. If you barely read now, start reading. Make it a goal to get through a couple of books in a year or a book a month. Read when you have a few moments to spare. Or when you are waiting in a long line at the DMV. Even if you aren’t getting through a lot of books, it’s still better than not reading at all. Find a genre you like. Find a couple. Whatever suits your fancy. Or even mix it up. Don’t be ashamed or what you choose to read. The important thing to remember is that whatever you read should make you happy. Find your inner bookworm and embrace it. You’ll be glad you did.
