Whenever someone asks me what my hobbies
include, I always say I like reading. But the truth is, reading is not just a
hobby. Reading and books make up a fundamental part of who I am. To me, being a
reader means never being lonely even if I’m alone. It means feeling things I
would never feel otherwise. It means being able to understand people better
because I’ve been in the minds of so many other characters.
The thing is, unlike a lot of hobbies,
reading isn’t always relaxing. Don’t get me wrong, I love being able to lose
myself in a good book. But a great book takes me through a rollercoaster of
emotions. I laugh when my favorite characters laugh. I cry when they cry. It
might drain me emotionally, but it still leaves me with a smile on my face. No
matter what goes on in my world, I know that if I ever need an escape, a place
to just be, I will find that place in a book.
Another aspect of reading that I love is
knowing there is a whole community of readers out there who are just like me.
Every time I finish a book, I read the reviews written by other readers, and it
makes me feel like I’m a part of something bigger than myself—that there are thousands of
people out there who feel the same things I feel. There have been times when
I’ve automatically bonded to people because of our similar reading lists and
our love for books.
Right now, I’ve reverted back to my
younger self by going on a fantasy/sci-fi novel binge—anything with
magic, supernatural creatures or novels set in the future. Honestly,
this quarantine is a great time to be a reader. When the days are just dragging,
and I feel like I’m suffocating from being cooped up for too long, books help
me find a way to breathe again. I can let my mind wander and have adventures. I
read from the moment I wake up till I fall asleep. There are days when I forget
the outside world, and my roommate has to remind me to eat. So if you feel like
you need a break and are craving freedom, pick up a book and let yourself be
swept away into a different world.
