When you read and you like what you are reading, you enter a world of your own imagination. The characters and everything about them is according to what you like and what you prefer. You kind of become the book, or we can say that the book becomes you. It is a great experience. And so reading grows on you.
There are practical advantages from reading. It improves your vocabulary in seismic proportions. Sorry for the minor exaggeration! But it is almost true. Of course, I am talking about such books that have this qualification of having a wide range of vocabulary. It increases your confidence when you are among people who are knowledgeable and bright. That makes you more effective in your job or business, which can help you make more money.
Also, it is satisfying when you understand some difficult phrases or words that come up when you are watching TV or talking with friends and family. It can evoke an aspiration to write a book or an article yourself. It increases your self-worth. It keeps your brain active and improves focus. From a good book, you can learn a lot about life and people in so many different careers, aspects, the good and the bad. You can also curl up on a couch or bed on a rainy day or a day when no one is around to disturb you or make noise, and quietly read and forget all your woes for the time being.
Let me tell you this! Reading a book and watching the movie based on that book, is not the same thing. If you read a book, and then watch the movie, perhaps sometimes, by fluke or chance, some things in the movie may correctly coincide with your imagination of either the characters, their appearances, their voices, the scenes, the backgrounds, the landscapes or the events. But most of the time, they do not coincide with what we had in mind about them. Because our imagination is a wonderful gift that is unique to each one of us. Each one of us enjoys things in a unique way that is special only to us. So it becomes a disappointing experience.
To give one example, when I read “Where Eagles Dare!” by Alistair Maclean, it was amazing. I had my own mental picture of the characters, their voices, the sceneries etc. But when I saw the Movie “Where Eagles Dare!”, something was missing for me. As great an actor Richard Burton is, he is not the one I had in mind for the Main character. The movie somehow lacked the feeling of adventure and suspense that I felt when I read the book, inspite of all the modern combat gadgets, helicopters, airplanes, costumes etc. Don’t get me wrong, I really liked the movie. Perhaps, if I had watched the movie first, I probably would have loved it even more!
But the point I am trying to make here is that Reading a book, I mean a paperback or a hard copy book, used to be fun and useful in so many ways. This gift is no longer used as it should be because of the times. Times change, and naturally a lot of things change. What was a great invention once, is now obsolete. But there are certain things, fashion for example, keeps running in a cycle. What was fashion 30 years back, and discarded as old fashion, suddenly comes back with full force. I hope that happens to Reading as well!
So Parents and Teachers should encourage children to read books explaining the practical advantages to them. Children are very smart, some smarter than adults! Also, they learn by watching what parents or people around them do. Not by hearing what they say. If they say something, and do something else, it is not going to work. This is where true love comes into the picture. True love means a little sacrifice. Parents and Teachers have to set an example for the children. Read a little in front of them and show them it can be fun. Who knows, our vocabulary may improve a little too!!
Long Live Reading!
