There’s something that really makes me look at someone and sort of judge them when they say something. I know you shouldn’t judge people, it’s not only wrong but just plain rude. But in this case, I just can’t help it. It’s a simple thing they say, and from a few short words I formulate an opinion of them.
There are many sentences or phrases that have been said that I do this with. I sometimes think I shouldn’t, but I do. This reaction started with the most innocent of sentences.
“I don’t read books.”
First, I’m not the most prolific reader. I have said before that I find reading very difficult, but I do it because there is an escape, a place where I go that the author takes me, and my difficulty becomes lessened. It takes me a little longer, but I get there eventually.
But when I hear someone say this, the first thing I think is “why? why do you not read books? why could you possibly not read books?”. I just cannot understand why a person wouldn’t want to read a book. They’re marvelous, wonderful, thought provoking and challenging. Maybe that’s the reason why, that some books challenge a person when they read them. Books, such as those I read in high school, like To Kill A Mockingbird, Flower For Algernon, Lord of the Flies and even Grapes of Wrath (though, my high school self found this book a slog, and while my adult self recognizes the imagery of it, it’s still a slog). Today, there’s books that push those boundaries again, such as the Harry Potter series, Judy Blume’s books, Game of Thrones, and Hunger Games to name a few. Strangely, each of those books I mentioned has been challenged to be banned in certain areas of North America.
I often think when someone says they don’t read books, that they are denying themselves the chance to expand and explore in a way that they don’t often do such things. To read is to get a glimpse into the mind of the author, even if only briefly.
Maybe reading some books is too challenging, where ideas are brought up that make the reader uncomfortable. That’s not always a bad thing. Books should make us feel a tad uncomfortable, because not only are they telling us a story but they are relaying information to us. Books, even fiction books, can be a tool to educate.
I suppose some find that difficult to handle when they are met with a fact that is opposite of something they thought they knew since they were a child. Personally, I find it enlightening and wonderful when I learn something new. It’s moving forward, it’s progress.
That one phrase can so easily lead to other phrases that make me shudder, but I won’t go into them now, perhaps another time. This post is getting rather long at the moment. Keep in mind, we’ve been taking part in Banned Books Week, and a lot of the books I mentioned earlier have been challenged. Maybe take the time to explore the list of banned books in your area and try to find a copy and read it.