'Read and you shall know', was one quote, I often heard my (late) dad say and that inspired me to read. The more I read, the more I realized I needed to read more.
In today’s world of competitiveness, it's always advantageous to amass vast knowledge, and there is no better way to do so, other than reading. My (late) dad again did say “no amount of knowledge no matter how small is ever wasted.”
Have you asked yourself the question, "Why is reading important?” I guess a very simple and short answer to this question is that reading enriches one in all aspect of life.
According to Prof. A.C. Grayling, “To read is to fly: It is to soar to a point of vantage which gives a view over wide terrains of history, human variety, ideas, shared experience and the fruits of many inquiries." This is so true isn’t it?
Reading provides our mind with nourishment. Knowledge is the food for the mind. Reading encourages us to think. It increases our hunger for knowledge. Knowledge clarifies the difference between the ‘right’ and the ‘wrong’ and helps us inculcate the right virtues.
It is very sad to say that many of us (young people) don’t read. And those that did read have stopped reading… the reason for this is that the reading culture overtime has deteriorated and of course not all of us were introduced to the concept of reading early in lives.
Reading thus has become a struggle for some of us. Our societies also have refused to give top priority to reading. Our education system has become ignorance of the important of reading- the no library or library no books conditions in our (public) schools speaks volume.
One can easily understand that we’ve all become very busy with our day to day work. And in these busy times, where we don't have time to eat breakfast, it isn't surprising that most of us have forgotten the importance of reading.
Having no time ourselves means not having time for books but then, the importance of reading cannot be over emphasized. Reading yields great benefits thus there is absolutely no excuse whatsoever why we (young people) shouldn’t read.
Some of us tend to restrict reading to be only reading of (school) textbooks but there is more. We can and should read everything from encyclopedias, novels, newspapers, magazines etc. It really doesn’t matter what we read. What matters is that we read.
As to whether you like fiction or non-fiction is also not important, what is important is whether you like reading or not!
In the ancient time, reading was limited to books. But today, it goes beyond books to reading on the web. Reading from the Internet is an easy option for those of us that don’t like walking around with books. There are some very good sites that provide us with authentic information.
Books and the web are the richest sources of information. They cover a wide range of topics and provide us with an enormous amount of information. They tell us so much about ourselves, others and the world we live in.
It is quite easy to distinguish between someone who reads and someone who doesn’t. Anyone who takes to reading will definitely become a better person. Reading helps us develop mentally. Reading helps us shape our lives- it shows us the right path. As youths, books should be our closest companions.
Reading is one of the best way of relaxing. Books make very good friends. Reading leads us only to read more in the never-ending pursuit of knowledge.
My pastor once said “when you read, you know and when you know you understand. So true! Understanding is very keen if we want to be successful individuals.
Reading also improves a person's vocabulary and communication skills. More importantly, a good reading skill is directly related to good writing skills (so don’t wonder how come I write this well).
I know this is such a ‘big call’ to many of us but it’s a call we must endeavor to answer. Let me reiterate that the importance of reading cannot be over emphasized. It is the beginning of a journey in search of enlightenment.
Let’s become curious about reading. Curiosity will cause us to thirst for knowledge. It will cause us to open up a book and read even when we don’t feel like doing so.
Together, let’s revive the dying reading culture by resolving to read because READING MATTERS. …
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