I have always loved reading. As a kid, i would read everything i saw including newspapers and dictionaries. In secondary school, i used to read the Merriam Webster dictionary for fun and write down new words i found fascinating. It was the coolest thing ever to me, that's not to say i was a nerd or anything because i wasn't the top of my class and i really hated school. I just loved how words could describe so many different things, how stringing together these words could provoke an emotion from someone and how much words held meaning. 

My sisters also read a lot and i guess that's where i picked up the habit. The first book i ever truly read and enjoyed was The Fault in Our Stars by John Greene and i re read it no less than 20 times. So much that when the movie came out, i knew all the lines by heart. Then he became my favorite author with the way he seemed to  touch the deepest parts of my soul with his writing. His words felt like a soothing balm and a hug at the same time. There was love i never experienced but i knew existed because of his writing and his ability to create intricate pictures in my mind. That's where it all began. Now, you would never catch me without a book. 

I know technology has advanced with the existence of PDFs and Audio books which i don't mind but to me the whole point of a book is to keep your phone down. Not only does it help your vocabulary and attention span, but your comprehension skills and spelling down to your speech. It's helped me focus and experience life through characters who although may be fiction but hold a lot of lessons and perspective about how to go through life. Just like other form of art, i think reading fiction helps expression because you are able to connect to characters and see your pain, joy or any other emotion be identical and mirrored back to you. You are also able to take notes on how to navigate certain experiences with quotes that speak to you. 

I am grateful to have discovered this side of reading and i believe that everyone should and make it as enjoyable as they can for themselves. 

#AMAKACohortFeb2024