An Alternate Sanctuary

Reading is a way of life. I remember my good friend, Jerome, as he suggested I should venture in a bookstore business since I have this crazy penchant for books and reading while he becomes a chef. It's when you have heart at something that you do that eventually shapes your success. The bookstore business is a long shot from being feasible but that does not stop me from buying and reading books.

I feel pity for those who hate books, as books personally serve as my haven. A nexus for a lot of things which I consider the shaper of much of the way I live, think, and act. In summary, I appreciate it much for being my means to travel, learn experiences, and invoke ideas which I would not come accross on my own from just living a normal, daily routine.

As I have mentioned, reading provided my escape to travel worlds and places, both real or made up, beyond my own or family's financial means. How could one go to ancient Greece, medieval Europe, the shadow lands, the land of Faerie, the Dreaming, and mythical Avalon, to name a few, at your own accord? With great and seasoned writers, you may even taste the stale air or smell fear or be stricken with emotions if you willingly immerse in the temporal world presented by the medium.

As interesting as its plot are the characters it gives life to. A reader person may not have loved but, through these characters, could have already undergone countless break-ups and heartaches and emotional triumphs. The more humanly normal a character is depicted, the more you empathize and feel for them or see facets your past, present, even your ideal future self through them.

Lastly, it is undeniable that we often read to gain insights and ideas, unless, of course, we get our hands on novels and fiction which are mostly just made up if it isn't a mirror for skewed-slash-morphed realities. Then again, these, too, are more anchored to what is or was real, thereby transforming what you would normally classify as boring into satisfyingly enriching brain workouts.

I have made a vow never to let my mind grow dehydrated with information. So, as it still thirsts, I drink from its countless permutations. And for me, that's pleasure transcending ordinary happiness. It's bliss.

posted by Fritz @ 10:58 PM