Whether you are seven and obsessed with choose-your-own-adventure books, 13 and distracted by video games, or 40 with no extra time, here is a countdown of reasons why you should make time to read:
#3 Reading is an escape.
Even today in this post-covid pajamarama, we have to go to boring places. These places include standing in line, study hall, train rides, babysitting, waiting on friends, Little League practices, and office lobbies.
Whip out your paperback mystery and you are no longer hyper-aware of your calves cramping from standing on post office linoleum for 45 minutes. That comic in your pocket will carry you contentedly toward the last school bell of the day. Fire up that device and soar from the dermatologist’s waiting room on the back of a dragon.
Magic!
#2 Reading is a playground for our imaginations.
We may use our brains in a variety of smart ways every day, but nothing excites our imaginations like a new story. A new twist, an intriguing turn taken in through the eyes, but seen only in the mind.
The brain does wonderous things while reading, so don’t take the fact that you can read, and have read, for granted. It is a gift and an art that needs to be exercised like a puppy needs to dart and dash.
#1 Reading helps you process your feelings about the word around you.
Collectively, humanity has the capacity to experience everything if we share our knowledge with each other. I believe that is what drives writers—the desire to record not just what we’ve seen, but what we imagine happening.
Somehow, we have this ability to make stuff up, and then decide how that scenario would affect our lives. Sure, there are many mediums, but writing and reading lead to avenues of contemplation that can often be avoided watching a video or listening to a podcast.
Perhaps it’s the ability to instantly pause and unpause the flow of information just by blinking. Maybe it’s the way our imaginations frolic, tossing the words and then catching them and holding them close to our hearts. Whatever it is, it deserves to be cherished.
So, READ! It’s the best!
Comments