I was never a bookworm when I was younger. I was pretty much the exact opposite of everyone in my family. I was always told I could never sit down long enough to turn a page. “Free Spirited” was the name I was given by my family. I pretty much did what I wanted and from what I’ve been told, I was stubborn. I will say this, I have no idea how I learned to read or why I never really enjoyed it.
Growing up, I never let my mom read to me before I went to sleep. I just was not interested. No one could ever figure out why, though. My whole family loved to read so it was a surprise when I couldn’t even sit down for two seconds to listen to a book. When I started school, things started to change. In my younger grades, we were instructed to read book and then test on them. It was commonly known as “AR Reading.” Each student was given a goal to reach and I always ended up reaching my goal and I usually doubled the amount I was supposed to read. At first, I would read little books and test on them as soon as I could. Then I discovered I actually enjoyed reading and went in search of bigger and better books that I could relate to. I think I really fell in love when I discovered Sarah Dessen. Basing her books on teenagers, they were easy to relate to. It was like she was writing my life story without even knowing it. Then, I couldn’t ever put a book down. All I would do is read. My mother would be dragged to every bookstore around Memphis to buy me books. My mom eventually had to be me a NOOK color so she wouldn’t have to be dragged all around the city. Now, with a click, I can have any book I want.
I honestly never thought I would fall in love with reading but, somehow, along the line I did. Reading is my escape from reality. It’s my safe haven. I can read and forget about the world and I don’t have to worry about anything. Lately I’ve been obsessed with the 50 Shades of Grey series. It’s a little bit more adult but, it’s one of my favorites. Maybe one day, I’ll become a great writer and write a book. You never know what might happen!
