Did You Grow to like Reading Yet?

You’ve been handed a book time and time again. You’ve gone to the library time and time again, but you really didn’t enjoy the books, did you? Your mom bought you books, but you really didn’t like them, did you? 

You skimmed and flipped through the pages more than you care to admit, but you honestly did not read the words. You did not comprehend, you did not walk away yearning for more. You could never relate to those with a burning desire to read at all.

Instead, you kept on in life just reading what was suggested, what was recommended. You have been skimming through life for God knows how long. 

This, as you might imagine, can come with consequences, because what is it you really care about if you can’t go beyond skimming? Now you’re wondering: Will life continue like this? Can I turn things around? 

Surely the world is filled with wonders. There must be something out there worth reading, worth yearning for. Surely, right?

Yes!

You finally found a book that made the wheels turn again. While there is still sometimes rust to work through, you went from starting and never finishing countless books and essays, or taking months to read, to reading a book in 3 nights!

You finally found that excitement you knew was there all along. After shedding that skin you’ve held onto for decades, you are relearning each and every day. You have interests beyond what’s recommended and you are happier for it.

You have gone from reading maybe one book per year to more than 40 in less than two years. 

You read so much you wonder what you have missed out on over the last 30 years — to be honest, it’s quite a lot, but we are focusing on the positives here. 

Now you can truly understand what people mean when they say that books can bring you into worlds you couldn’t imagine. You always thought this was hyperbole, but really it’s true. 

You read so much that every night you look forward to going to bed so you can read. Some nights you read well beyond your recommended bedtime. Sometimes it’s worth it, and when it’s not, you are sure to rate it low on Fable or Goodreads for wasting your precious beauty sleep. 

All this to say: don’t worry.

You are still a child of wonder. 

You have grown curiouser and curiouser.  

You are learning and relearning every single day, and that is something you ought to be proud of.