Built On Books
It's the end of January, and I've procrastinated for long enough. So;
inserts podcast music
Welcome to Nothing in Particular.
This isn’t going to be about any specific topic, and I’m still figuring some of it out, but hopefully, you’ll stick around, and we’ll see how this goes.
I'm writing this on my bed, wrapped up in a blanket on my bed, with my largest hoodie (thanks, love😗). If you're in Lagos or anywhere nearby, you know that harmattan has made an unexpected, unnecessary comeback, and there's nothing to do about it but cuddle up (with or without a plus one). There's been a lot of complaints, but honestly, I don't mind the weather. The only thing that'd make it perfect would be curling up with a cup of hot choc(not tea, please) and a good book. Emphasis on the book.
I recognised recently- not for the first time, but you catch my drift- that I'm a girl built entirely on books.
They've made me; my personality, thoughts, feelings, ideals, knowledge- at some point, I was worried I'd lost myself without ever getting to know who I was. Eventually, I figured out that we're all a sum of the things we consume, and I didn't need to panic. Of course, it's not that simple, but that's a story for another day.
Now I struggled on what to make this about: the girl behind the books, the books behind the girl, the importance of the books behind the girl… I mean, I could try to make a case for reading and convince you to pick up a book, but that’s as arduous a task as explaining the importance of music to me(and many other people). The last time someone asked me that question, I didn’t give any reasonable answer- I should probably go back to that message.
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Anyway, anyone who knows me- which you will in due course- knows that I live, breathe and die by books. I'm always reading one(or three), mostly fiction and especially fantasy, but I'm not very picky with genres- there's a lot of nonfiction in my past and hopefully in the near future. Reading started as something to do, something to stave off boredom, and quickly became an addiction- I remember it being so severe that my parents couldn't keep up with getting enough for how fast I went through them. They ended up creating an arrangement with my primary school librarian. In came secondary school, and I read anything I could get my hands on. Literally anything- from The Google Story and Rich dad Poor Dad to Redeeming love and Harry Potter. I feel like I read up to a thousand books in those six years(of course I'm counting Wattpad). At some point, they became a lifeline, an escape, because reality became tedious- almost unbearable, and now I cannot imagine a life without them. I'd average about a book in 2 days, but for the fact that I'm an engineering student and e choke, but we go dey alright.
I’ll avoid going on and on about the first love of my life and get to it. Reducing books to the "lessons we learn", and all of that annoys me to no end, but I can’t deny how much they’ve taught me. Of course, for self-help and nonfiction, the aim is clear, but here are some of the less obvious ones.
First, Empathy. I can't count the number of times someone has told a story or recounted an experience, and I'm able to relate to, give examples and understand some of how they feel without ever having gone through it myself. I suspect it's part of the reason I'm able to give any sort of "advice" - and even if I can't, offer sympathy and a listening ear.
Then there's experience. A friend said this recently, and it's stuck with me, "You have lived a million lifetimes in one". From autobiographies of historical figures, which are a bit more direct, to the average character in the stories we read. I might not remember their individual quirks or even very much of their story, but they're all somewhere at the back of my mind, a part of me. I sometimes catch myself saying things I didn't think I knew, or having opinions on things I hadn't thought that much about, and hearing Talon from Talon the Black, or Inej from Six of Crows in there. I can draw from their lives, and it makes mine that much more interesting.
There is so much more, but I’ll end with something I mentioned before- escape. Sometimes you need a break from the stresses of your everyday life, and Earth is a chore, so how better to destress than to immerse yourself in another person’s story? Or, like me, an entirely different world. Of course, there are several media you could use- movies, manga, comics, anime, shows- but with books, your imagination gets to run wild. I’m saying this for the first time, but I’ll definitely say it again soon- the average mental breakdown can be prevented with a good book and some music- and we all deserve to forget once in a while.
I know I couldn’t possibly convince some of you book haters, but hopefully you pick up a book today (or download one). If you need a recommendation, comment with your preferences. Until next time, Ruby.
