For as long as I can remember I’ve loved reading. So I was
flummoxed when Swapna, my younger sister, couldn’t figure out what was so great
about it. I tried telling her that there’s a whole new world out there, just
between you and those pages. You can sit in one place and travel all over the
world. There are stories that make you laugh, cry and send a chill up your
spine, and then there are those that make you stop and think.
I was determined that she too should know the joys of
reading. So, on our walks to school I started telling her stories from the books I’d read. Those she had no problem in enjoying! But then one day,
when she’d gotten hooked on to an adventure story, I left it hanging right in the middle. She was
aghast. I had to complete the story, she said, but I wouldn’t budge. She argued and pouted
and tried everything possible but she had to pick up the book and read to finish the story! :) After that, she went on to discover and read many, wonderful books. And now, there's nothing more that we like to discuss than the next book to read. :)
Fast forward many, many years and I wondered if I could try the trick with my niece, Aisha. I doubted it. There are so many gadgets out there plus, we have movies, games and so many other things competing for attention that reading tends to lose out. And yet, Aisha took to reading like a fish to water! I think it's because growing up she was surrounded by books (on the bookshelf, nudging out clothes for space in the cupboard and even under the bed!) and voracious readers. So she has been conditioned to look at reading as a fascinating and attractive activity. Why else would her mother and her memas* refuse to play with her when they had a book in hand? :D
Reading tends to gently push you to
grow, whether you read physical books or use a gadget to get your quota. It is not just about knowledge and awareness but also the immersive experiences and viewpoints reading offers us.
And yet, if you don’t like to read and find the thought of reading an
entire novel too daunting, try reading a page a day. (Here's another trick I picked from a friend: You can pick a story and make reading a family activity: read aloud different parts for 10-20 minutes, every day or for a longer time on weekends.) I promise, you won’t regret
it. In fact, once the story catches hold of you, you won't even realize when you've reached a point where you just can't put your book down. (Expect to be told off for reading at the dinner table, in bed long past sleep time and taking the book to the bathroom... because you just have to know how it ends! :D) I've now taken to reading 13-14 books at one go, switching books after reading a chapter from each. That's another trick I've figured out to make sure the most interesting books don't get over too soon and that I can read the slower, more thought-provoking ones at a pace I can digest.
Happy reading! :)
*Mema: Maternal aunt in Malayalam
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Aisha combining reading with gymnastics!
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