“The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences.” - Eleanor Roosevelt
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Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Truth: I Hated Reading

I read this the other day...


And I couldn't help but think how true it is.

From a person who reads over 100 books a year, you'd be surprised to learn that when I was a kid I hated to read.

HATED. IT.

I hated it so much that in sixth grade, I took the lower grade on a book report just so I didn't have to finish the whole book. My time was better spent building tree forts and playing street hockey with the boys.

I really don't remember being required to read in my seventh and eighth grade English classes.  (Well, we might have been but obviously they weren't good enough to remember.)  But we wrote a lot, and because of that, I aced those classes easily.

In ninth grade, we were required to read two books and I hated them both, again I took the bad grade to get out of the assignments. By that time, I would have rathered hung out with my girlfriends at the mall and played different types of games with the boys.

After that, I went to an unconventional high school that didn't require reading, so I didn't.

But I think there was more than just not finding the right book, it also took me settling down. Sitting still for long lengths of time just didn't interest me as a kid.  Now that I'm an adult, it's one of my favorite things to do.

So if you're a parent or teacher and worry about your children not being readers, give them time or at least give them a book that they'll enjoy.

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