“There is no friend as loyal as a book.” – Ernest Hemingway
When I was young, my mother would always make sure I read books. She didn't really care what books, but just read them. I never really understood why, and I grew to kind of resent reading books. Now that I have grown up some, and I've had some real-world experiences, I know the importance of reading. I read books, papers, magazines, commentaries and blogs. These things have helped me keep my mind sharp.
Now I enjoy having time to read after a busy day or even on a lazy day (college seniors tend to have lots of those). I enjoy learning about the world around me and I find it interesting (and sometimes frustrating) to see how people think differently. This summer while I was on my internship at Fair Oaks Farms, I was asked to take some time to read A Rat Is A Pig Is A Dog Is A Boy and then have some time in reflection with my boss. I thought he was crazy, but once I read throughout he book, I realized that the reflection time was every bit as important as the book itself. My boss said, "the more you read, the more you understand about the world; and the more you understand, the greater chance you have at making an impact."
That has stuck with me since last summer, and I have read more in the past six months than I had in the previous three years of my college career (outside of textbooks…of course). Having friends who enjoy reading and discussing these things really makes it more fun and interesting for me to read. I never thought I would participate in a "book club" of any kind, but I sure am glad I have made a commitment to read more, ask more questions, discuss more with others, and hopefully make an impact somewhere in the world.
If you're curious what I've been reading, feel free to jump over to my bookshelf tab to see what's on my shelf!
“It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it.” — Oscar Wilde
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