I was never the bookworm kid. Even when all the children were obsessed with books, I was never one of them. I was the movie/TV show buff. I’d love coming home just in time for my Disney and CW channel shows. I’d rush to pee during the commercial breaks (yes, remember those?) and aspired to be the Disney channel kids using their magic wands.
I was still a creative, obsessed with playing pretend-doctor and teacher games. And I loved being outdoors, wreaking havoc with my cousins. But I was absolutely never into books. In fact, there was a point in time when I was at a level M or something in reading, while the rest of my elementary school peers were at a Level X. My Dad would kindly suggest that I occasionally pick up a book, but I just never could fathom the idea of sitting and reading.
During COVID, however, the unthinkable happened: I started reading. I literally held books and read them from beginning to end. Truly shocking. In fact, these days I’ve resorted to reading instead of Netflixing before bed. What the hell is happening to me?
I give all the credit for my newfound love for reading to the one & only Khaled Hosseini, an Afghan-American physician and author, who wrote the incredible The Kite Runner. This book has singlehandedly changed my life. It cracked my heart open and made me weep and ruminate for days after I finished it.
Never did I think that a book, of all things, would teach me so much and impact me as deeply as this one did. That’s when I realized that the adults, like my all-time favorite 2nd grade teacher, Ms. Wahlgreen, who always articulated the importance of reading, may actually have a point. I never believed it when they said “reading builds empathy, creativity, and even an attention span.” People, I am here to tell you that ALL OF THAT IS TRUE. Trust me. As someone who has never once picked up a book for pleasure before her 23rd birthday, I can now attest to all of the benefits of reading. More importantly, I can now say that I am able to feel feelings that I didn’t think were possible until after having read a few books.
It’s wild that everything that we were told to do as children, but never wanted to do, is exactly what we want to do now as adults. I wish I could just sit in a cozy little corner of my home and read for hours, discovering as many lives as I can.
Since reading The Kite Runner, I’ve been on a mission to continue to dive into worlds, gain better cultural and worldly understanding, and care deeply for people through books. Some of them have made me laugh out loud (The Sweet Spot by Amy Peoppel is easy, wholesome, and fun), while others have made me want to sob for days (Hosseini’s other masterpiece, A Thousand Splendid Suns). I’m just shocked that reading has actually been influential in my life. You know I get excited to walk into a library now? Like, who am I?
During a time when much is happening domestically and globally, I feel like educating ourselves is how we stay in control, especially when many higher-ups are trying to censor crucial information. Books are a major way for us to stay connected, continue learning, and deeply care for each other regardless of who we are and where we come from.
So, sip your coffees, grab a book, and flip through the pages. Happy reading! 🙂
Esha Kode 