There is a girl that I know, who can literally read anywhere she goes. It doesn’t matter if it’s loud, or if she’s moving, and she most definitely doesn’t bother to worry about whether it is the ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ time to read. I feel as though each time I see her, she has a new book in her hands, and though I wondered about how she makes the time or has the dedication, I have realized that she is the person who I look up to most; the person I most want to be like.
I have always loved reading. When I was little, I used to wake up at 4 am and read a few books before school. This of course was in elementary school, a time when books were double spaced and only a hundred pages. Eventually, as homework and social events piled on, I began to lose my stamina for reading. I don’t know if it happened all at once, or occurred over a long period of time, but eventually I stopped reading. I used school as an excuse: too much homework, not enough time, theater is too much, etc. But it was school, because I wasn’t even doing the readings for my occasional english classes. I just couldn’t get into it. Books seemed dull and dry. On days where I was motivated, I was able to start a book, but I never finished them.
It wasn’t until the end of my senior year that I fell back in love with books. Maybe it was the never ending days created by COVID quarantine, but I felt inspired to transport myself to a new world everyday. So each morning, I would grab a towel, a bottle of water, and a book, and I would sit outside until my eyes couldn’t bear to read any more.
It was an amazing feeling. I was so proud of being so committed to literature, something that I have always loved. Since meeting this girl however, I have begun to set a new goal for myself: I want to read in every spare minute that I have. I want to absorb every book, every idea, and every author’s personality, but I can’t do that if I don’t devote myself and my time to reading.
So this year, and more so this semester, I am going to commit myself to reading. I want to read at least two or three hours a day. Wish me luck, for I am working to meet my only goal for the new year.