When you think about it, remembering the earliest point at which you started reading or having any memorable reading moments throughout your childhood is really quite difficult. The first and only thing I can remember from my reading deprived life is my mom reading some of the Narnia series to my brother, sister, and I. I was probably around 9 or 10 at the time and I didn't enjoy reading at all. However, there was something about the story or the way my mom read the books that compelled me to go to my sister's room with the rest of my family and to listen to the fictional tales.
Another reading tid-bit that I remember from my elementary school years is reading these sports mystery books - I forget what they are called. Anyways, I recall reading the entire series which was quite an accomplishment considering the large number of books in the series. However, this want to read surpassed me sometime through middle school.
I don't know if it was the extremely boring novels we were assigned such as Iron and Silk and The Chosen, or if it was an increased enjoyment of doing other things such as playing soccer, Xbox, or piano. Either way, some sort of drive has to take me over to be able to really "want" to read a book. With the increased amount of technology of today, it is hard to find that drive when "House" or "Modern Family" is on or I can walk downstairs and play Call of Duty for a while. Someday, I think I will find that urge to read whether it is in college or sometime later in life, but right now, that urge is long gone.
Even though I do not read much myself, I do believe that reading does play a large part in our society today. The sale of books and e-books makes up a large portion of the consumer economy today. Also, books, along with paintings, poems, and many other art forms, are one of the main ways that people express themselves as well as record history. Books allow writers and novelists to voice their opinion on anything or maybe they just want to entertain. Non-fiction books can also pass on information and history that we, the people of today, need to learn from in order to learn from the past. Even though books have not had a large impact on my life in particular, the ambiguity of books make them special and important to our society.
Really interesting story. Losing interest in middle school is a pattern to many of the narratives I've read over the years, and my theory is that it's the time when students most need freedom to choose, and it's when that choice is taken from most of you. The technology thing is hard, too. Fact is, there are too many worthwhile, or at least enjoyable, things to do these days. I know that when I stopped watching television, after a couple of weeks, I didn't miss it at all. Now when I sit down in front of a sitcom, it seems like all the jokes are the same, no matter the show: men are pigs, women aren't bright. I just wish I would spend less time wandering the internet. Going outside to split firewood has helped lately, for some reason. Anyway, good post.
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