Total Disclosure – Am a book worm, an avid reader.Was a voracious reader a few years back.
I had taken to books and reading quite early in life, even though my Dad was a reader himself, the responsibilities of a family man didn’t allow him to continue. But he did encourage my habit, felt joy that I had some of his interests. I have to mention a teacher of mine in class 5, who encouraged us to read a kids magazine – Gokulam, it was a joke she read for us. I still remember the joke, and from then on I have never stopped reading.
Feel a little nostalgic, this is what I used to do to gobble up as many books I could. First, it was little kids magazines, I would be given Rs.25 every month for gokulam, chandamama and tinkle. When in high school, I read a lot from my school library -nancy drew, Enid Blyton’s books. Always had this insatiable hunger to read more and learnt to read faster so I could read as many as there were. One of my chores at home was to put the monthly stash of newspaper to the paper guy, who would give money for them. There were always some good books that people had given away. I would use the paper money to buy it back. My friends too gifted me books, coz a book always brightens my eyes. Have spent many hours in a nook in the Crossword Store on residency road.
A bookstore, especially a used books bookstore is my Disney land.
I am instilling this habit of reading with my toddler son, who is yet to read. He loves to flip through the pages, loves to hear me read out loud with an animated voice. It’s colourful, vibrant, gives him a lot scope to think, analyse, ask. The best aspect I like – It reduces the screen time.
I just can speak only for myself and my son. But what about other kids and their parents?
How many of us are readers? who enjoy reading and not just coz ‘It’s good to read’? I find that the number is very less in my circle of people. I know that the trend of reading is in an upward direction all over the world, in metro cities, but from where I stand it isn’t.
And why is it so?
One of the reasons is that many of the parents would have been readers when they weren’t taking care of family, having a career, managing kids. Moreover, I don’t think people prioritise or consider reading as a relaxing activity. And so, when kids don’t see reading around them, they wouldn’t pick up the habit easily. And kids have so much of school work that even parents don’t want to push them towards another book.
When you have the habit of reading, and always carry a book around, it’s like having a best friend with you at all times. You are never alone, you imbibe so much of what you read and its changes your way of thinking or your personality a little at a time. You understand different points of view. You understand how it is to be in other person’s shoes. Books engage our imagination. When you read a good book, it feeds your soul.
Books have magic in them. You could loose yourself. Visit countries and people while just sitting in your home. The character descriptions by some authors are so vivid, you’d want to meet people like them.
Put some magic in your’s and your kid’s life, Get into the habit of reading.
PS: For those interested and wondering the cost of having a reading habit. Try JustBooksCLC they have decent plans. I have opted for the Monthly Rs.300 plan for 2 books -one for me and one for my son.
Thoughts and Ramblings of Me.... 