When I was a youngling, I read a poem that started with the line…
What World of Wonder are Our Books!
It went on to describe how books make you travel faster then the speed of light and give you experiences you may not otherwise have the chance to have. The verse completely resonated with me since I have been losing myself in the world of books forever. Reading was a very popular hobby back in school, second only to sports and everyone who read was part of a community.
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Back in those days, TV was a weekend delight and video games were just making a foray into the markets. Internet may have been born somewhere but Mobile phones were definitely part of SciFi movies only! Is it a wonder then a lot of us gravitated to books to find a good way to spend free time?
Is Today’s Generation Reading?
I may still be young but being on the other side of 30 has definitely set me ages apart from the youngsters of today! I invariable refer to school going and college going people as kids 🙂 So, that is the generation I am talking about here. They have tonnes of options today. So naturally, the time spent on books will reduce. Isn’t playing a dragon slaying game on Nintendo a cooler thing than reading Paolini’s Inheritence books?
Reduction in attention span is a huge problem of today.
Let us face it, reading takes a lot of attention!
Kids who read are indeed labelled BookWorms
BookWorm is perhaps the kindest word a kid can hear. Kids are unintentionally cruel. Nerd, Geek and Dweeb and a host of other words and phrases follow. Thanks to TV and films, we automatically form an image of low self esteem and social ineptitude for such people. What if a kid could kick anyone’s ass in karate class and still come home and enjoy a book? If only the stigma would go away, maybe a lot more kids would read!
Why I Read
I am an out and out fiction fan. I love to read stories about people, about different places and even different eras. A well written book always plays on my mind and I can see the visions unfold in my head. Its like making a movie on my head!! I have dabbled with a few non fiction books and realised that I read for the enrichment. I can read anything that is not too preachy and think about it. My opinions, my thoughts often result from the kind of reading I do. I believe I have changed a lot as a person after I transitioned out of children’s books. From a miss goody two shoes to someone more practical and more accepting of others as they are. That and not to mention the fact that books offer you a wonderful solace as and when you need it 🙂