"Do You Get Bored of Reading?"
It was a peaceful afternoon during the New Year weekend. With nothing on TV and everyone out of the house, it seemed like a perfect time, if any, to catch up on some reading. I was still reading when everyone returned, and it must’ve been a couple of more hours later when I was asked this question; “do you get bored of reading?”
BZZZT!! KARACK!! ZOOM!! That’s the multiple sounds of my memory flashing before my eyes, like a lighting bolt to the brain, and it showed me a vision of the past; I hated reading.
BZZZT!! KARACK!! ZOOM!! That’s the multiple sounds of my memory flashing before my eyes, like a lighting bolt to the brain, and it showed me a vision of the past; I hated reading.
Way back when I was a young’un, I didn’t like picking up a book. I didn’t like being met by black and white ink staring at me in the face with no pictures for me to lean on. In my mind, reading was dull and boring, it was an “old man’s game”. Maybe I was an ignorant, unimaginative little brat, but that was how it was for me. I’d rather be glued to a monitor than read a book. It got on my Mum’s nerves. As hard as she tried to get me to listen to her reading to us kids, I just couldn’t give a damn.
Until one Christmas, I received a gift that changed my life for the better (can you guess?); a book. But not just any book, this book catered to my love of horror, violence and superheroes (and what kid doesn’t love those qualities in entertainment?). It was No.25 in the “Goosebumps” series, created by R.L.Stine, called “Attack of the Mutant”. A super villain known as the Masked Mutant literally comes to life from the pages of a comic book, and was looking to make life hell for the poor boy who collected the comic. I always thought a book was boring, like “Little House on the Prairie” boring. I had no idea that they could be used to tell stories that excited you, that had you hanging on its every word, that horrified you to no end.
I couldn’t put it down. I was addicted, a real page turner, and like any good drug out there I wanted more of the stuff. I soon acquired a rather big collection of Goosebumps stories (the “Night of the Living Dummy” trilogy being my favourite), and others like them. As I got older, I yearned for more sophisticated levels of literature, with longer words, plagued with adult situations, and a dash of horror and violence for good measure.
Even now, to this day, I can’t simply put a book down. I have to force myself to take a break, to call it a night. Its amazing the amount of emotion you can invoke with just a few words. I have yet to read a story that I haven’t liked, but that’s probably due to me recognising them as a form of escapism (but that’s a blog entry for another day).
Books have been a big part of my life, and they should be for anyone else. Not only do they tell fantastic, true to life stories, but they also keep your mind alert, and that’s something nobody should loose. I have no idea what I would’ve been like if I hadn’t started reading, or what career path I would attempt to pursue. If it wasn’t for Goosebumps No.25, I wouldn’t be posting this blog entry, with aspirations of becoming a writer. The phrase “From Simple Beginnings” was never more true.
Until one Christmas, I received a gift that changed my life for the better (can you guess?); a book. But not just any book, this book catered to my love of horror, violence and superheroes (and what kid doesn’t love those qualities in entertainment?). It was No.25 in the “Goosebumps” series, created by R.L.Stine, called “Attack of the Mutant”. A super villain known as the Masked Mutant literally comes to life from the pages of a comic book, and was looking to make life hell for the poor boy who collected the comic. I always thought a book was boring, like “Little House on the Prairie” boring. I had no idea that they could be used to tell stories that excited you, that had you hanging on its every word, that horrified you to no end.
I couldn’t put it down. I was addicted, a real page turner, and like any good drug out there I wanted more of the stuff. I soon acquired a rather big collection of Goosebumps stories (the “Night of the Living Dummy” trilogy being my favourite), and others like them. As I got older, I yearned for more sophisticated levels of literature, with longer words, plagued with adult situations, and a dash of horror and violence for good measure.
Even now, to this day, I can’t simply put a book down. I have to force myself to take a break, to call it a night. Its amazing the amount of emotion you can invoke with just a few words. I have yet to read a story that I haven’t liked, but that’s probably due to me recognising them as a form of escapism (but that’s a blog entry for another day).
Books have been a big part of my life, and they should be for anyone else. Not only do they tell fantastic, true to life stories, but they also keep your mind alert, and that’s something nobody should loose. I have no idea what I would’ve been like if I hadn’t started reading, or what career path I would attempt to pursue. If it wasn’t for Goosebumps No.25, I wouldn’t be posting this blog entry, with aspirations of becoming a writer. The phrase “From Simple Beginnings” was never more true.
To answer the question earlier; No, I don’t get bored of reading. In fact, I love it.
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