Falling in love is an easy thing for me to do, it's an easy thing for all of us. There is so much beauty in the world and variety, that even as we say "no," that we will not go down this path, not this time, we inevitably do, anyways. Love is a human condition, a weakness and a strength. It has inspired so much art and creativity. Love is in the stories we read, the films we watch, and the music we listen to. It is everywhere and there is no escape, a pain for those of us who wish otherwise. As I type this letter, I cannot help but to think of all my past lovers who may be reading this even now. If so, know that this an ode to all of you, for there are many. Love drives me now as I write and I cannot help but to dwell on the last love I had two days ago. It was an amazing novel.
Not all love is romantic in nature; no, some of it is platonic, or just the intense feeling of immersing in something or other. My great loves have invariably been books.
It started young, in kindergarten; I recall the joy I felt as I began to understand more and more of the world around me. As a child and adolescent I would carry a new book, tucked neatly under my arm, wherever I went. Whenever someone would ask me what I was reading or what it was about, I would sigh and not so secretly judge them. How dare they trivialize my love? They didn’t understand the bond I had with my books, what I experienced as I slipped into each new story. And so as other watched TV and eventually moved onto focusing wholly on chasing romances, I stuck with my books.
Despite this, I turned my back on books once I entered college. I was in an unfamiliar environment and distracted by new responsibilities. I had assigned readings and new friends to attend to and so I fell off. I stopped carrying books with me wherever I went and instead carried my phone with me. I knew something was missing, but I ignored it in favor of finally living life outside of paper pages.
But as I finished my summer internship, I found myself reading once again, and as avidly as I had done as a bored teen stuck in nowhere Kansas. Because of my experiences, I came back to my books wiser. The feeling of falling was still there, but now I understood and felt so much more. As I finished one trilogy recently, I found myself on the verge of tears, but also smiling and laughing in happiness. My sister saw me and looked at me in alarm. But I was fine because I had returned to my true love, and I knew that even if I strayed once again, it would always be there. Reading has helped me through difficult times and I know it will continue to do so in the future. After all there are so many more books to read and love. I guess I do fall in love easily after all.
