Entry #1. Just One More Chapter!
I breathe in deeply as I turn a page in my book, eagerly waiting to see what happens to the main character. The soft ticking of a clock and the rustling of the page are the only sounds that I can hear, and the smell of fresh paper causes me to smile. When I finish turning the page, my jaw drops and my heart plummets to the ground. The chapter is over. How could the author end the chapter like that? Disbelief fills my mind as I look over at the clock. It is now 12:00 p.m., and I haven't even noticed the time flying by. I bite my lip, carefully considering my options. I could put the book down and get some much needed sleep. . . or I could continue on to the next chapter and learn what happens. I look at the clock again, shrug my shoulders, and begin reading. How could I not?
I have many different hobbies, but the one that has stayed with me since elementary school is reading. I absolutely adore books, particularly fantasy and non-fiction. Some of my favorite books are Harry Potter, The Land of Stories, The Hunger Games, Muscle and a Shovel, and pretty much anything written by Jane Austen. I am currently in the middle of reading The Maze Runner, and I am enjoying every minute of it! Each one of these books, as well as many others, have had a lasting impact on me as a person. I know that reading isn't for everyone. However, there are many reasons why I feel that reading is important. Reading helps our mental health; reading provides us with moral lessons that we can learn from and an escape from the world around us.
Though reading may seem like a simple activity, it actually contributes to a healthy mind. According to the Fisher Center For Alzheimer's Research Foundation, a study was done in which elderly participants completed a questionnaire about mentally stimulating activities (such as reading) that they had done throughout their lives. After these people died, their brains were examined and it was discovered that people who participated in mentally stimulating activities more often had a slower decline in memory. In fact, the Fisher Center For Alzheimer's Research Foundation says that:
Even when people had plaques and tangles and other signs of damage to their brains, mental stimulation seemed to help protect memory and thinking skills, accounting for about 14 percent of the difference in decline beyond what would be expected.
Healthline tells us that researchers performed a study using MRI scans. During the study, participants read the novel Pompeii over a period of nine days. During the reading and days afterwards, connectivity in the brain increased. This was particularly obvious in the Somatosensory Cortex, which is where the brain responds to physical sensations.
I also feel very strongly that reading can help us in our ability to understand spelling and grammar rules. When we read a lot of books, we are constantly being exposed to words, sentences, and ideas that have been (hopefully) well edited. After reading many of these pieces of work, we begin to recognize what is okay and what isn't, thus improving our writing abilities.
Another reason that I love reading so much is that it can fill our minds with important life lessons. Many books that you will read have a lesson to teach you. My favorite book series of all time is Harry Potter. One of the reasons that I adore this series so much isn't because of the magic, the mystery, or even the characters (though those are all fabulous elements). My favorite part of the series is the lesson that it teaches us. This lesson is simple: friendship is extremely important; we can accomplish more when we work together rather than when we work alone. Writer's Write tells us that the moral lesson behind Jane Austen's book Emma is to "learn to listen and pay attention to everyday matters." Even the infamous book series Twilight has a lesson to teach us. Suzanne Dagger tells us that Twilight is about making important decisions. She says that we are faced with decisions every day, and no matter how long we postpone one of these decisions, we eventually must choose. Each one of these books have important lessons to teach us, and if we don't read them we will miss out.
Now, to get more personal. A very big aspect of why I love reading so much is the simple fact that it brings me comfort. Reading allows me to travel to new places, new worlds, new locations that I have never been before. Reading fulfills my desire for adventure. When I open a book, not only do I get to travel to someplace new, but I also make new friends. A good book is full of characters whom we can connect with; characters we feel that we can trust. Some of my best friends are actually characters in books, and that is because I go on their adventures with them. When I read a book, I learn about the character's strengths and weaknesses. This knowledge helps me to understand the characters, and they quickly become close friends.
Oftentimes, when I am feeling stressed, sad, or even angry, I will go to my room and read. The ability to open a book and get sucked into an entirely different world brings me comfort in a time of difficulty. Books are my safe place; they are my escape from pain. Of course, I cannot stay inside the story forever. Eventually I have to return to the real world. But reading gives me the opportunity to cool down and think before tackling the difficulty that I am faced with. Perhaps reading could do the same thing for you!
Personal Picture
Books have touched my life in many different ways. Reading has been one of my favorite hobbies for a very long time, and I am always excited to dive into another new book. Reading is an extremely important activity to participate in. Reading promotes a healthy brain, has the ability to teach us helpful life lessons, and can provide us with comfort, adventure, and friendship when we are in need. It's okay if you are not much of a reader; not everyone will be. However, if you do a little digging, I am confident that you can find a book out there that is of interest to you. So why not take a chance? Find a book, open the cover, and take a look at the first page. You might just surprise yourself. Who knows, you could even end up reading that book until 12:00 p.m., so fascinated by the story that you have to read Just One More Chapter.
Hi Yesmeen, I really like how you started out your entry by writing as if you were writing a story; it was very pleasant to read. I love how passionate you are about this topic and how you explained the health benefits of reading. I think it's very important that you have the wisdom of understanding that you can't escape reality forever by reading a book, and I also admire how you explained that you use reading as a coping skill. I myself have been trying to get more into reading. I bought a few books recently and started one of them months ago but I haven't found "the right time" to read, which I know now I guess I just need to make that time. I struggle with my own reality as well and though I don't use reading as much as a ways to escape, I think it would be a healthier way of doing it.
ReplyDeleteHello Yesmeen! I just wanted to take a second and say how good those details were that you had added; from the opening paragraph, to the personal experience, i thought it all flowed together nicely. With that being said, I knew reading helped to expand the mind, but I did not know how much it really did. The concept of using reading as an Alzheimer's treatment is brilliant because not only does reading help with understanding grammar and focus, it is an escape from reality that can help heal the mind. What I found fascinating was the research done by Healthline because the fact that the patient's brain activity increased while reading a book shows the real importance of what reading does for you.
ReplyDeleteHi Yesmeen, I agree with the points you have made, such as the importance of reading and how it impacts the mind. It is extremely important to read because it teaches you many new things and it can really have an impact in your life as you mentioned in the Alzheimer's Reasearch. When I get a chance to read a book, it is difficult to put it down once I get really into it. I love fantasy as well as fictional books because it makes me feel a part of the story and involved with all the fun adventures.
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