Pt. 1: Thoughts - Books
One thing about me is I. Love. Books. They are one of my most favorite things and I don’t know where I would be without them. I will read just about anything from the classic Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger to the romance Happy Place by Emily Henry. I always have a book on me (physical or digital) because I would much rather get lost in another world than be consumed by social media and the screen of my phone. I will admit that I still enjoy scrolling on social media but after putting a time limit on instagram I have had so much time to do something enriching that I enjoy. Anyhow, books matter, and should matter to everyone in the world. It is an incredible privilege to be able to read, and to read for the joy of it as well as the education it can inevitably provide.
In my senior year of high school, I had stopped reading almost altogether because I was depressed and I didn’t see the point in it anymore. I was sad, I was lonely, and I was so unhappy. Growing up I was obsessed with reading but then high school hit and I was miserable. Getting to the point where I stopped reading was a really dark time for me; I had no one to turn to who I thought could understand me. Eventually, I stopped doing anything I used to enjoy. None of it mattered to me, not like it used to. Losing books was like losing a part of me. I couldn’t escape into a fantasy world because I felt that I no longer had the mind to enjoy the journey to the Amalfi Coast or a quest through the labyrinth. I was lost, and I had lost one of the few things that brought me joy.
On one of my better days, shortly after I graduated high school, I had the notion that I would start my own library. I was getting better, but I still wasn’t able to do things I enjoyed. The idea behind a home library was that I could make my own space a place I wanted to be rather than suffer in the silence of the room. To be considered a library one needs over 1000 books. I already had a bookshelf full of books I loved and books I had yet to read, but I loved having them. It was a physical reminder that I could do anything I wanted, be anything I wanted, just by opening a book. The adventure began that summer. I started going to thrift stores, garage sales, bookstores, rummage sales, etc. I scoured facebook marketplace and thriftbooks.com. I searched for books of any kind as well and shelves to house said books. Surprisingly enough, I did not end up with many bookshelves. The majority of my books ended up on the floor in neat stacks which I preferred since it made my room look like Rory Gilmore’s in a way. I had books in every nook and cranny of that space and it finally felt like mine again.
Reading again was made simpler after getting every book I wanted to read at the time. The first book I picked up after being away for so long was All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. It was eye opening, real, and heartfelt. I learned what it meant to be beautiful and troubled in a way I hadn’t understood before. This book felt like me, and it spoke to me when no one else could. This book understood me when I barely understood myself. I gained a new sense of compassion and empathy for all the people who struggle with mental health and for the people who try to help these people. It made me realize that I wasn’t alone in my struggle, and that I needed to be present for them and for myself. I wasn’t alone anymore, and books had taught me that. I have continued to struggle with my sense of self but one thing I knew then and know now is that reading changes lives and I should never take it for granted.
I wholeheartedly believe that reading could improve anyone’s life. Reading helps people acquire empathy and build on that empathy which leads to kinder and more compassionate people. What breaks my heart more than anything is seeing people who refuse to read, especially the new generation of people both in school and just entering the workforce. These people lack empathy which causes a lot of problems in today’s society. Reading shows humans their humanness and grounds them in ways that we don’t exactly understand but do appreciate. I wish people knew the impact it could have on decisions made in places as small as your local PTA or as big as the white house. Reading can only improve decision making skills because it also teaches people how to think for themselves. They are building these worlds and these concepts entirely on their own which is a sign of intelligence. Many people lack this intelligence nowadays and it saddens me to know that there are people out there that are unable to think for themselves. These people are being manipulated by the masses and it is disheartening. Even doing something as simple as reading multiple news articles on the same subject can give you new knowledge to form your own opinion rather than use someone else’s singular opinion as your own. There is hope for all of us if we choose to open a book. Literally any book can get your brain to wake up and realize that maybe things need to change (or stay the same), based entirely off of your own EDUCATED opinion. Books will change your life, I am 100% confident in that statement.
The last thing I will say is that all the books that are currently being banned in the US are books you should be reading. You should know exactly why these people are banning literature because when something is being taken or hidden from your view you should remain curious. Books are meant to be read and by controlling what is allowed to be read they are writing the narrative for you rather than allowing you to make your own decisions. They are afraid of what you will think when you do read these pieces of literature and it needs to be stopped. So read. Read as much as you can before they really try to stop you. Remember when Hitler banned and burned all Jewish Literature? It is becoming scary similar to that time in history and we need to stop it before it ruins people for good. We deserve to be educated in whatever ways we choose, and it should not be dictated by the government. EVER.
I had to get serious there for a minute. We need all books. Every. Single. One. Thank you for taking the time to read this, I really appreciate it and I hope you open a book and get educated! If you have any questions or comments you can email me or DM me, I would love to chat!
Sincerely,
TH
