Books are amazing. They are gateways to new and exciting ideas and thoughts packaged together in one contained package. I used to be a stubborn reader when I was much younger. My taste in written literature was limited until I was able to appreciate a plethora of authors. So why can’t I read?

The idea of reading, whether it was from a book or a magazine, was very foreign to me as a child. I did not want to just sit around and use my mind to explore the world. Rather, I was too lazy to want to do anything, including reading. By the time I reached the end of elementary school, I found a book series that I really got into. Then after that my classes forced me to read specific books for academic purposes. Some of those books were great. Some of them were just okay. And some of them were awful. But no matter what book I read, I began to appreciate more genres, styles and writers. Even today I am finding new and exciting books and novels to get into. But why can’t I read?

I have a tendency to bite off more than I can chew. I will buy tons and tons of books that I genuinely want to read but never get around to do so. So that is one part of the answer to my reading question. I suppose another answer is the fact that I am a very fidgety person. I do not have an attention disorder but it can sometimes be extremely hard to pay attention solely on a book I am reading. The position that I am sitting in has to be the most comfortable possible. If any part of my body becomes agitated while I read, I have to completely alter my position to compensate for such a slight annoyance. The physical lighting of my reading area has to be just right. The room cannot be too bright for the pages in the book will reflect too much light, but I also have to be able to see what I am reading. My last pointless gripe about my incompetent reading skills is my need for almost absolute silence when I read. It already takes 99 percent of my concentration to comprehend what a book is saying. It does not help when someone is talking or if a clock is ticking loudly. I obviously understand how I have trouble reading, but why can’t I read?

Listing off my ideal reading situations has made me curious. How many people out there have similar gripes about reading (or anything for that matter)? Almost everything we do in this world requires a lot of brain activity, and reading is definitely no exception. Let me be clear that I do not have an actual problem reading. I simply need to get myself in the right mindset and focus on such a task. Some days are harder than others, but I am certain that I will be fine when it comes to reading.