So recently a very good friend of mine asked me something that I don't think I had ever been asked before. I always thought the answer was obvious but evidently not. They asked me what was so special about reading. For me, why did reading beat out a good TV show or movie as an afternoon pastime?
I think a lot of it stems from my upbringing. My mother loves books, to read but also to collect. We had bookcases full of daunting history books and encyclopaedia collections simply because she revered the act of gaining knowledge and understanding this crazy world we inhabit. She taught me to read by 18 months old, because she wanted to instil that same love of words in me. And she definitely succeeded in that!
My journey of reading began with Disney story books as bedtime reading, to later delving into the colourful worlds of Narnia and Hogwarts. I read non-fiction just as avidly, picking up my mum's collection of autobiographies whenever I needed new reading material. Basically, anything with words stood no chance against me.
I loved the worlds I could get lost in - the multiple lives I could inhabit - and still just be plain old me when I closed those dog-eared pages. I was a part of these fantastical, extravagant and terrifying worlds, with princes and magic and warriors and then I was still home in time for dinner. I could be a princess, an assassin and a school girl all in the same week.
I loved how my empathy grew with my understanding of human nature. Stories are essentially a diary of experiences, whether real or imagined, and they matter more than some people give them credit for. A book (I refrain from saying a 'good' book) has the power to comfort, console and entertain as and when it is needed. A well loved book, even more so. They are a shoulder to cry on, a best friend to whine to at the end of a long day and a warm, long needed hug.
I loved how I could keep myself lost in the stories and with the characters for as long or as little time as I wanted. Don't get me wrong, I love a good TV show (I have several to catch up on too!) and I'll never say no to a good movie but after they end, sometimes I'm left wanting more. And that's normally when I reach for my books.
Personally, I've always found hope in stories especially when I was at my most hopeless. They were my only saving grace at times and they were my support when I felt at my most alone. In short, they saved me from shattering when I was already broken.
And the transition from reading to writing felt like a natural extension. I suppose it's thanks to my mum and her incessant adoration of literature that I'm here now, typing these words and maybe, hopefully, helping someone else feel less alone.
Until next time, be inspired...
Love,
Z
