*Magnify*
SPONSORED LINKS
Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/profile/blog/joycag/day/2-12-2024
by Joy
Rated: 18+ · Book · Experience · #2003843
Second blog -- answers to an ocean of prompts
Kathleen-613's creation for my blog

"Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself."
CHARLIE CHAPLIN


Blog City image small

Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet
confinement of your aloneness
to learn
anything or anyone
that does not bring you alive
is too small for you.

David Whyte


Marci's gift sig










This is my supplementary blog in which I will post entries written for prompts.
February 12, 2024 at 10:14am
February 12, 2024 at 10:14am
#1064059
Prompt: Reading
“I have never known any distress that an hour’s reading did not relieve.”
Montesquieu
How does reading affect you?


---------------

I think reading goes far beyond a passion. For the very young, it introduces them to the world that is not confined only to the immediate family, friends, and experiences.

I learned how to read at a very young age. As was told to me, I was two months short of being four years old when I read a full sentence. My mother says I learned the letters first by asking about them to my grandmother who showed me what they were and the sounds their connections made.

There's a lot more to this story but let me say, I haven't stopped reading, since. I guess I got hooked on the diverse topics, genres, and styles. My reading made me love words and that's probably why I studied, much later, linguistics and lit.

I have learned so much from reading. If I weren't reading, I wouldn't feel empathy for both sides of an issue. Take the World Wars, for example. I don't think I'd know about what both sides of the camps went through and how innocent people, even those considered "on the enemy side," were caught up in a terrible trap.

Then, during my personal bad times, reading served as a therapist, helping me detach from the issues that bothered me. To this day, reading still calms me down and heals. Immersing myself in a captivating story or exploring a fascinating topic provides an opportunity to detach from the disturbing or the bland areas of life and, hopefully, it entertains and educates, too.

I don't know this for sure, but it is also claimed by people who work on human psyches that reading improves focus and concentration. That may very well be true because when I get immersed in a story or an interesting subject, even the most disturbing thing or memory fades away.

Love of reading has been a lifelong companion for me, as it is a transformative experience, influencing not only what I learn but also my emotions, social interactions, and overall well-being.


.


© Copyright 2024 Joy (UN: joycag at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
Joy has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.

Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/profile/blog/joycag/day/2-12-2024