Reading is more than just a hobby. It is an escape from reality, an outlet in a hidden form. How so? In one way, the reader can take the place of the main character while reading. This helps the reader not only understand the story, but also get into the story as well. The words will fly off the page if you feel like you are the one going through the adventure, romance, mystery or whatever it may be. You become engulfed in the story as if you are living it in real life. This is especially true if you have a vivid imagination. That helps to bring the story line full circle.
Books also can help you learn things about yourself you may not have known. Reading helps to grow your vocabulary and knowledge. So the more you read, the more you grow, and the more you grow, the more you learn about yourself. It may sound silly, but a cheesy romance novel can open your eyes in multiple ways to how you love and how you feel about someone loving you. The words on the page are more than just a story; the words are an outlet to your life. These words can help you heal and help you grow. Reading helps to get your mind off of all the crazy aspects of life that you might be going through, whether these things are good or bad.
Reading books helps to slow down life in the best way possible. And while books are made into star-filled movies all the time, it is not the same sense of satisfaction to just watch a movie. Reading takes so much more energy, making it so much more rewarding. I know, as an avid bookworm myself, that reading can be therapeutic as well as just a casual hobby. So I recommend that everyone put down the laptop, lose the cell phone and pick up a good book. I promise you will not regret it.
