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Today I will be sharing a tale of how I was afraid of reading from childhood, but I faced my fears and learned to love reading, and it's helping me tremendously well now that I have grown even bigger.
Growing up, I faced alot, but the most remarkable of them all for me was facing my fears of reading for hours. The thought of picking up a book sent shivers down my spine, and I would do anything to avoid it.
Oh, my childhood! A time when books were less friends and more like those vegetables our parents swore were "good for us" but tasted exactly like sadness (ever heard of bitter leaf😂).
The challenge was basically more about giving my quality time to reading instead of going to play. It was like a war between me and a sea of words. But anytime I am confronted with the importance of reading to my future, I would wipe that thought off by saying I would become a musician, and I would only come to perform my songs and make my cash (poor me forgot musicians read alot too).
The very idea of "reading for fun" was funny to me, because I remembered having a friend (Wesley) who loved reading alot. We would always argue about how important reading would be to our various careers, but I would end up telling him how overrated the world has made reading appear.
Books, with their intimidating blocks of text, were like puzzles that I had no interest in solving. Why would anyone subject themselves to such torture when the world outside was full of actual fun? Trees to climb, bikes to ride, and let's not forget interesting movies to watch, lol.
My parents learned about my fear of books, and they disciplined me a lot to change my mindset. They would always make sure I visited the library every week and to equally do my book reports unfailingly.
As far as I was concerned, libraries became like a haunted house of academia where fun went to die. Book reports? This felt like a plot by adults to make us sit inside and write about these torments instead of enjoying ourselves outside.
But it all changed on one fateful holiday period, by then I think I was around 14 years of age. It was a festive period, so lots of my friends left me and traveled to their various villages to enjoy their holidays.
I had too much free time and not enough excuses, as I was alone in my room watching the ceiling fan go around for the 742nd time. With the sun blazing outside, making even the thought of outdoor activities a sweaty nightmare, I was left with no choice but to face my fears, lol.
So I reluctantly picked up a book that had been gathering dust for a long, and as I opened it, half expecting to be bored to tears within minutes, something unexpected happened.
The pages didn't bite, the words didn't hurt. Instead, they whispered tales of faraway lands, of adventures and mysteries that I surprisingly never knew.
Before I knew it, I was hooked, reading attentively from one page to another as if I were watching a very interesting movie. The feeling was more like a "ah, so this is what I had been missing all along?"
This was when I realized that reading wasn't as difficult as I had made it seem all this while. It was instead an escape path from boredom, and a gateway to worlds I had never imagined could exist outside of a screen.
During that holiday period, I didn't just read a book, but I unlocked another version of myself. As I delved deeper into the world of reading, I discovered how large there's to explore.
From thrilling mysteries to heartwarming romances, there is a book for every mood and interest. I realized that not all books were created equal, and there is something out there for everyone to enjoy.
Now that I have grown older, reading has become an important part of my life. It's no longer just a form of avoiding boredom but a tool for personal growth and enlightenment.
A good example of how reading has positively impacted me was seen in my final year's project defense. I was among the best-graduating students, and the honor is what I will never forget.
Books have the power to educate, inspire, and challenge my perspective on the world around me. I find solace in the pages of a good book, knowing that I am constantly expanding my knowledge and feeding my curiosity.
Now am no longer afraid of reading, instead, it's now a bigger part of my being. I now tend to read everyday, and believe me when I say am enjoying the journey, lol.
All images used in this post are mine.