Being a Reader
I just got home from my book club, so it seems like a good idea to write about books. I read a lot of novels. I'm not as well-read as I'd like to be, but I like a good book. I spend a lot of time reading novels with my children. I especially enjoy having people around who want to discuss the book with me. As I read, I think I learn so much. I learn about other cultures, other life views and ways of looking at the world. I learn about family structure and how people interact with each other. I learn about values and consequences. I learn a great deal of empathy for other people. I get to get inside someone else's head for a little while and experience life with them. Life is short and I will meet relatively few people and have relatively few life experiences. But reading expands my understanding of what other people experience. By building my empathy for others (even if they're fictional), I expand my own life experience. Even if I can't travel much, I can immerse myself in foreign cultures and ideas when I'm in a novel. I freely admit having made some great friends with fictional characters--and when I finish the book, I feel lonely for my friends.
Reading is fun and relaxing. It is educational. And it brings an added layer of meaning to my life.
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