For some, books are the escape, escape from reality. New York Times
writer Charles Blow can attest in one of his recent columns.
"It is no exaggeration to say that those books saved me: from a
life of poverty, stress, depression and isolation," Blow wrote.
Personally, as a book-lover myself, I say true too. From a young age
I've been an avid reader. There was and still is always a book with me. No
matter where I went. It could be the pocket sized Maximum Ride or a 700 page
Harry Potter. It didn't matter.
My favorite place to read would be during family events. I could get
lost in a whole new world and not care. Forget about the chattering relatives,
most respect my decision to educate myself in a world of fantasy.
Or as Blow would say, books shaped him to be the person he is today.
I believe whole-heartedly in shaping your personal character. There is
fantasy in my particular enjoyment of reading, but the underling realistic
qualities of strength and caring but staying aloof on your toes that have allowed
me to become, as Mr. Conner would call me, the flower child (a reference to the
1960 as a young person rejecting conventional society and advocating love,
peace, and simple, idealistic values.)
I couldn't see life without reading, but sadly for the majority of the
population -- now including me -- time is passing too quickly. And according to
Blow, the number of non-book-readers has nearly tripled since 1978.
It's not that I'm neglecting myself. I just have trouble finding time
just as everyone else. Because once the pages of a new book are opened there's
no stopping until the last word is read. And in all honesty, I don't have time.
All my time nowadays is spent on homework and maintaining grades.
But for me that's were music comes in. It's been my savior. I can
listen to music while I work on homework, work on cleaning the house, work on
the impending college search. Whereas reading, my full attention has to be
attributed to the activity, sometimes white noise is good to block my distracting
thoughts.
"There is no intellectual equivalent to allowing oneself the time
and space to get lost in another person’s mind, because in so doing we find
ourselves," Blow said.
And I couldn't agree more. Sometimes giving into the desire to read is
all it takes to be thrown into another reality. Escape.
To read
Charles Blow's full Column:
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