I was always that kid who you wouldn't spot at recess. I wasn't playing jump rope, I wasn't gossiping on the bleachers, I wasn't even in detention. No. You couldn't spot me. Because I was often nestled behind a tree or around a quiet corner, reading. I'm not the only kid, the only person like this. People love to pick up a book. And there must be a reason why. This is why we read.
Books are the best friends. They never leave you alone until you choose to put them down for a break. Their pages never change and never bend unless you tell them to. They are always ready and willing to pick up exactly where you two left off. Books contain these golden gems called stories. They are predictably unpredictable: with a beginning, middle, and an end. They reflect life through a once upon a time as a guaranteed start, accompanied with a tiny glimmer of hope that there will be a happily ever after at the end.
Life reflects the stories our eyes take in, as stories have the power to seep into our minds and change our points of view long after we've stopped looking at the pages. Stories also reflect us. We find characters that we identify with so closely, we wonder if sometimes the characters really were made to find us. Books reflect us, too. The covers are merely a clue to what lies inside. And sometimes, people misinterpret this clue, and judge our story without ever having read it. We read not just one book, but many. We keep reading because some stories are safe: the princess will always find a prince. But other stories make us uncomfortable, push us to grow, and are responsible for molding us into who we are: maybe the rich guy and the gorgeous girl won't end up owning lots of silk shirts together, and maybe the hot, mysterious guy won't drink protein shakes, but blood. Those unpredictable stories are what push us further into real life once we've finished them. The safe ones are our shelter, always ready to remind us that there is some good left in the world. And both of them inspire us, ignite our imagination, and transport us from wherever we are to wherever we want to be...at least until recess is over. And that is why we read.
