“Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them.” — Lemony Snicket (aka Daniel Handler)
I have been a reader my entire life. And I’ve learned that there is something of value to be found in every book. From children’s books to adult fiction, dictionaries to picture books, almanacs to how-to’s – the genre is of no matter, books are the foundation of lifelong education.
While fiction will always be my first love, I have slowly evolved into a self-help junkie. But it’s not so much the exploration of self that I’m interested in, it’s mostly about the evolution. I have always been fascinated by people. I love to stand witness to transformation, on paper and in person. I guess I love fiction for the same reason, the characters are never the same at the end of a book as they were in the beginning.
It would seem that I would be more drawn to biographies, but I’m not… at least not yet. Ultimately my love of books can be whittled down to connection (one of my core desired feelings). I desire to feel connected almost as much as I crave freedom. And reading allows me to be in relation with the characters, while they are in relation with circumstance and one another – a circle of connectivity.
I also dig the fact that knowledge is a side effect of reading. If you’re reading you WILL learn something, even if you don’t try. It might be a new word or a recipe. You may gain a better understanding of yourself and the world around you. Text often facilitates a shift in perspective, an expansion of awareness, and the deepening of consciousness.
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This post is part of the “This is 40″blog series. Forty lessons. Forty weeks.