Being able to read and write is an essential skill and for many it does not come easily. No one is born knowing how to be literate, we must learn through everyday experience, school and even friends and family. Not acquiring the knowledge to be able to effectively read and write can result negatively in a person’s life. A sign that reads “stop” or a warning label on a product can be hazardous to anyone not aware of how to read. For this reason, we are taught from a young age at school the basics of reading and writing and eventually we come to a level of effective literacy. Although literature is a critical skill, it also leads us into a world of understanding, beauty and art.

Growing up as a child I loved being read to. I would sit quietly in the lap of a loved one as they narrated stories of princesses, magic and happily ever afters. Intrigued, I hung to words as they glided off of the reader’s lips, anxiously awaiting a fairy tale of my own. Slipping into sleep I dreamt of beautiful ball gowns and fairy godmothers. Anxiously awaiting the day I would be able to read as many wonderful stories as I wanted to, forever being transported to a land of magical new beginnings.

Life got in the way of fairy tale dreams as I grew up. I learned lessons of disappointment and heartbreak. Stories lost meaning and happily ever after dreams seemed too far out of reach. School was just a place full of boredom and bullies where disinterest grew. It was not until halfway through my high school career that I rediscovered my love for literature. I began taking more advanced classes that began to get me more involved in reading and writing. I found books that peaked my interest – books of mystery and romance that kept me reading. During the summertime I would lock myself away, reading page after page, book after book and series after series. Always a new story, always a new beginning.

It is hard to say what exactly it is that gets us interested in literature. I would like to believe that it is different for everyone. Some people have the niche for reading and others don’t, just like I would never consider myself a math whiz or even remotely, mildly “okay” at math and that is fine. As for the people that do find comfort in written words and the sound letters make when spoken in various combinations, embrace this subject, the glue that binds everything together as in the binding of textbooks and dictionaries that teach us of the world. Embrace your love for this impeccable art.

Maths, science and history are truly important, yes, but here’s to the means that puts it all in motion. Learning to embrace literature and to appreciate its complexity is a beautiful thing. Most of the time an understanding of literature isn’t grasped until later in life when more experiences become more prominent. Through many adventures, heartbreaks and friendships, I now understand that without the ability to read and write, we lose the ability to express ourselves and communicate effectively in our society. Literature is art through words and boy is it amazing.