Let's Discuss #1

This will be something I do at least a couple times a month where I discuss a topic that interests me. This topic can be something that is related to books, anything in the entertainment arena and of course the Backstreet Boys. Sometimes it will be a current topic that is already being discussed in the media or something that is just of interest to me.

Today's Topic: Why Do You Read?

 When I was  little girl my family spent a lot of time with my moms parents and her little sister who is only 6 years older than me.They were to put it nicely not that fond of me. There are probably a lot of reasons that go into that not the least of which is I am like my father in so many ways. As a child the fact that they didn't think I hung the moon was always on display sometimes in subtle ways mostly not so subtle. The bulk of it came from my Grandmother and my aunt. They discussed just about everything I did with my mom (often with me in earshot) and criticized it. I ate too much, I wore the wrong clothes, my hair was too out of control (in my defense I am half black and my poor white mother didn't know what she was getting into) my manners were all wrong etc.. One of my first memories of my aunt was when I was 6 and I brought home my first ever school pictures and my aunt who was 12 at the time told me the outfit I wore was a terrible decision.One time when I was with a bunch of relatives my uncle told me he liked in-spite of what all the others had to say about me.So that gives you an idea of the discussions they had about me. To be honest I spent most of my childhood being treated in a similar fashion by most most people I came across except for my mom, sister, and my dad. I have many theories on why people felt the need to treat me this way which I won't get into right now but, the point is these experiences made me a reader. In order to escape and because we were around my aunt and grandmother so much I buried myself in all the books I could get my hands on. I would find little places out of the way and tuck myself in with a book or 2. In one house my grandparents lived in I would read on the stairs and in another I would go upstairs to the loft and get in the corner to read. When they came to my house I would stay in my room to read and that eventually led to most of my family calling my lazy and anti-social so that was awesome.  From the age of about 6 and on in to adulthood I read to escape. As a child it was The Babysitters Club,Nancy Drew and Little Women who kept me company and never made me feel anything but happy. I continued The Babysitters Club into my teen years and sought out books with young females as the protagonist. In adulthood I found murder mystery's and cozies to dive into. Without reading (and the Backstreet Boys but I will get into how they helped me get through in a different post) I might have had a much harder time as a child and teen. I was one of those people who immersed themselves so fully in a book people had to touch me to get my attention. This is why I love books so much because they took me away from my problems even for a short time. I can't imagine who I would be without those books I read so long ago. Those books made me think different things and imagine different worlds. They let me explore ideas I might have otherwise never known. As a child I read for escape as an adult I read for pleasure. I read to learn new things and explore new worlds. But ultimately even as an adult I still read to escape too. Escape being bored ,my crappy job, the death of a family member, So why do you read? What makes reading special for you?Did it get you through something that would have been harder to deal with had books not been around?

P.S  Claudia was my favorite babysitter I so wanted to be her!!


Until Next Time