different worlds

I love books.  I really do, and if you were to ask why, I would probably never explain, but I would definitely ramble about my favorite books and how any form of literature can have an effect on those who read (probably without stopping for breath, so I would just stutter a lot).  In my bedroom, I have an entire bookshelf ━ it's a small bookshelf, but I somehow manage to cram them together ━ filled with different books of many genres and lengths; some that I haven't read, and some that I've read more than once.  I even have some unfinished, because I never want the experience to end.  And sometimes I move between books because the I miss the imagery from the previous ones.  I have a desire, one day, to have an entire wall covered in hundreds of them, ready to be pulled down and explored.



Reading offers us a chance to get an escape from whatever struggles we're facing in reality and find lands and realms that take away the hardship.  Books can help us overcome, all the while making us feel magical and immersed in a world that is far fantastical than our own.  Unlike some, I was enamored with my English classes in high school.  While others may have found it boring and repetitive, I was always eager to read new stories and hope to broaden my imaginary horizons.  Reading gave me glimpses of all that our world could be, or what it would be if all of the negativity caught up with us.  It may seem far-fetched, yes, but reading literature can really have the power to help, to heal.



Sometimes it's hard to admit we aren't always alright.  Sometimes we think we can neglect our demons and hide them away, but somehow, they always find their way back.  To me, reading is like a temporary pause on everything bad, until we're ready to take our demons back out and face them head-on.  We find characters that we can relate to, and their struggles coincide with our own.  In a way, they help us cope, they give us the strength to fight our battles.



I'm making an effort to read more books.  It's a habit I often forget to make part of my routine, and I desire to change that.  It's a slow process, but I'm taking the time to re-enter these imaginary places and really get an understanding of everything the books I read want to convey.  I want to re-experience the characters that have the power to take your hand and help you shove past all of the demons.  I want to become a more well-rounded individual, and I think that by being well-read, I can use the lessons I may have learned to grow into a better person.



In a world that has it's ups and downs, I urge you to pick up a book and enter new ones that might give you a bit of solace, even if only for a while.