Rediscovering reading as more than just homework

If you ran into me as a child, more often than not, I had a book in my hands. I loved reading during that time in my life—the thrill of being able to escape into a faraway world, playing a little movie version of it in my head as I went along.

I don’t know what was the reason for this love, all I knew is that I loved it.

And then, something happened.

I no longer found the characters amusing.

I no longer played the mini-movie as I read.

I viewed reading as more of a chore than a hobby. I made a complete 180 — in elementary school, I read everything and anything I could. I finished our mandatory summer reading list in a week but continued to read beyond that.

I was always there to get the newest Harry Potter book when it released at midnight (okay, so that was my mother, but still) and would aim to read it in under a week.

But by the mid-period of middle school, that changed. Could it be that my adolescence got the better of me, and when I started viewing homework as “optional” (I know, not the smartest choice), I also viewed reading as the same? Maybe the introduction of technology, where I could live a new life online, meeting others, being able to portray myself as someone who I wanted to be, not the person I was.

Whatever the case may be, I jumped off the reading bandwagon. Not altogether, mind you. I still read the assigned readings in school, but I struggled. I didn’t see the point, since we would be discussing it the next day anyway.

If I were to compile a list of the number of books read, early life to beginning of middle-school, it would probably hit in the triple digits. Mid-middle school to shortly after college, probably the low double digits.

And then, to repeat myself, something happened.

I had to take one more course in order to graduate from Illinois State University, and rather than find an apartment and live down there for the one course, I moved back home. I was able to find a once-a-week course where I could make the trek down to the university, take it, and then come home. I found a job that was willing to work with me around that scheduling conflict.

But spending five hours on the road (and I’m being kind here, depending on the situation) every Wednesday, the same music starts to get boring. Radio stations are the same, even though they start to dip out the further south you go. Enter audiobooks.

During that 16-week course, I listened to (and would subsequently read to fill the gaps during my weekends at home) about 15 books: The Hunger Games trilogy, the first five Harry Potter books (it took me five attempts to actually read the book — that’s what inspired the audiobook path, actually), and a handful of others.

After that class concluded and I graduated, I realized something. That reading was fun. That portion of my brain had reopened the door. I once again found the characters amusing. I played a mini-movie as I read along.

I try to read as much as I can these days, but between two jobs (one that is very heavy on the reading as is), I cannot always meet that goal. I have added about another 20-25 books to that total (I am currently reading “Jurassic Park” by Michael Crichton — no spoilers, please (yes, I’ve seen the movie).

With technology these days, too, it’s much easier to be able to access books. Rather than lugging five or six books on a trip, I can easily load up my iPad with about 100 and never have to worry about losing my place or losing the book.

I am also always looking for new suggestions, so please let me know if there’s anything you’ve picked up lately of particular interest. I have no set genre; I’ll read anything.

I don’t know why I ever lost the itch to read—perhaps, one day, I’ll find out. But I’m glad I started reading again.

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