“So you read?” Asked the interviewer.
“Yes, I do.” I replied proudly.
And then the discussion moved on from the job details to the recent books I have read and how I felt about them. Yes I made the job.
“Now, go sit and read this and tell me what you read.... Get that K?” Mom handed over a thin book called "The funny tales of Tenali Raman" to me when I was 8. I could hardly read then. Forget reading, I couldn’t even pronounce the words well. I was always confused between D and B and often wrote “DEBROOM” instead of “BEDROOM”. It was later corrected by a whack on my - you know what...! Anyways, she ( my mother ) wanted her hyper active, super naughty, and over talkative daughter to be calm for some time while she could finish her chores. Soon this practice became a habit and a habit became an integral part of my character.
As a child I loved stories. Lots of them. Every night my mother would read stories to me and my siblings. I grew fond of them. The kings and queens, the fairies, the warriors, the heroes, and all those characters which existed in these tales. Yeah, we didn’t have Harry Potter back then but we had Panchtantra, Jataka tales, Tales of Tenali Raman, Tales of demons who were defeated by brave warriors, etc. And each one was real in my world.
So, with this book gifted by my mother I was introduced to the wonderful world of books and reading. Sensing my love for stories and reading, my parents started gifting me books. This made me happy and somewhere brought some peace in their lives which was turned topsy - turvy with my unimaginable pranks. And since then there has been no looking back. I have read almost everything I could lay my hands on.
Later, as I was growing up, a parallel world was growing up with me. In this world existed Akbar and Birbal, then Hardy Boys walked in, then sci-fi story characters came alive, and so on and so forth. My school also played a very important role in motivating me to read and read more. In almost every competition at my school, the award was a certificate along with a book. So, if you win, you get a BOOK! Just imagine...! So be it Elocution, Essay Writing, Debates, Story Narration, or anything else, I participated in everything possible. When I was announced the winner I would be thrilled at the thought of a new book coming my way. When I lost, I grieved over the loss of the book. I laugh over those silly things now. But all said and done, books have been faithfully walking with me.
I am since then living in a parallel world. I have laughed with the characters, cried with them, mulled over the words of certain characters, and often curiously bitten my nails when I was almost at the end of the book. This parallel world worked on no rationale, there were no rules, no guidelines, but they existed, Really! In this world, animals spoke like humans, humans were turned in to frogs, there was a girl who was the size of a thumb, there was a boy who had a long nose, there was a king who could never solve his own problems and employed a really witty man to help him and many more things. This world had people walking on water, a witch who only lived in a jungle and trapped little children, step mothers who were mean, siblings who loved sugar etc.
Then I grew up and fell in love with new characters who were more real, who were like me. Initially my reading was limited to Indian authors, then the international ones walked in with their words. I relished them, revelled in their pleasure, travelled across the globe with them, fell in love with them, envied them, understood tangled relationships, empathized with them and what not. My books taught me more than anything or anyone could ever teach. They have been my anecdotes during trying times, my companions when I felt lonely, my family when I was away, my refuge when I wanted to shut myself away from this real world, and most importantly, my shield from the pessimisms of life. The best part about a book is that, irrespective of its genre or it’s ending.... a part of your soul feels rekindled, uplifted and spirited.
“Books have magical powers”, said my English teacher once. And with each book I read, I find her words resonating in my ears. She was right. Yes, they have unbelievable magical powers. Apart from imparting knowledge, books have further enhanced my creativity and imagination.
The part of my brain which enhances imagination is so fueled right now that if you tell me you have an ass for a boss, I will immediately imagine it. You don’t believe me? then try it. :)
If you are a Bookworm like me, I would want to congratulate you. May our tribe increase.
If you don’t, I suggest you to try it once. I promise, you will not be disappointed.
And if you find them interesting, then spread the word. Let the world read...!
“Yes, I do.” I replied proudly.
And then the discussion moved on from the job details to the recent books I have read and how I felt about them. Yes I made the job.
“Now, go sit and read this and tell me what you read.... Get that K?” Mom handed over a thin book called "The funny tales of Tenali Raman" to me when I was 8. I could hardly read then. Forget reading, I couldn’t even pronounce the words well. I was always confused between D and B and often wrote “DEBROOM” instead of “BEDROOM”. It was later corrected by a whack on my - you know what...! Anyways, she ( my mother ) wanted her hyper active, super naughty, and over talkative daughter to be calm for some time while she could finish her chores. Soon this practice became a habit and a habit became an integral part of my character.
As a child I loved stories. Lots of them. Every night my mother would read stories to me and my siblings. I grew fond of them. The kings and queens, the fairies, the warriors, the heroes, and all those characters which existed in these tales. Yeah, we didn’t have Harry Potter back then but we had Panchtantra, Jataka tales, Tales of Tenali Raman, Tales of demons who were defeated by brave warriors, etc. And each one was real in my world.
So, with this book gifted by my mother I was introduced to the wonderful world of books and reading. Sensing my love for stories and reading, my parents started gifting me books. This made me happy and somewhere brought some peace in their lives which was turned topsy - turvy with my unimaginable pranks. And since then there has been no looking back. I have read almost everything I could lay my hands on.
Later, as I was growing up, a parallel world was growing up with me. In this world existed Akbar and Birbal, then Hardy Boys walked in, then sci-fi story characters came alive, and so on and so forth. My school also played a very important role in motivating me to read and read more. In almost every competition at my school, the award was a certificate along with a book. So, if you win, you get a BOOK! Just imagine...! So be it Elocution, Essay Writing, Debates, Story Narration, or anything else, I participated in everything possible. When I was announced the winner I would be thrilled at the thought of a new book coming my way. When I lost, I grieved over the loss of the book. I laugh over those silly things now. But all said and done, books have been faithfully walking with me.
I am since then living in a parallel world. I have laughed with the characters, cried with them, mulled over the words of certain characters, and often curiously bitten my nails when I was almost at the end of the book. This parallel world worked on no rationale, there were no rules, no guidelines, but they existed, Really! In this world, animals spoke like humans, humans were turned in to frogs, there was a girl who was the size of a thumb, there was a boy who had a long nose, there was a king who could never solve his own problems and employed a really witty man to help him and many more things. This world had people walking on water, a witch who only lived in a jungle and trapped little children, step mothers who were mean, siblings who loved sugar etc.
Then I grew up and fell in love with new characters who were more real, who were like me. Initially my reading was limited to Indian authors, then the international ones walked in with their words. I relished them, revelled in their pleasure, travelled across the globe with them, fell in love with them, envied them, understood tangled relationships, empathized with them and what not. My books taught me more than anything or anyone could ever teach. They have been my anecdotes during trying times, my companions when I felt lonely, my family when I was away, my refuge when I wanted to shut myself away from this real world, and most importantly, my shield from the pessimisms of life. The best part about a book is that, irrespective of its genre or it’s ending.... a part of your soul feels rekindled, uplifted and spirited.
| Photo Credit: lefunny.net |
The part of my brain which enhances imagination is so fueled right now that if you tell me you have an ass for a boss, I will immediately imagine it. You don’t believe me? then try it. :)
If you are a Bookworm like me, I would want to congratulate you. May our tribe increase.
If you don’t, I suggest you to try it once. I promise, you will not be disappointed.
And if you find them interesting, then spread the word. Let the world read...!
 |
| Photo Credit: themetapicture.com |
3 comments:
Bookworm.Yes!! and proud of it!
And may our tribe increase... Amen!
Glad to be a bookworm :-)
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