Back in tenth grade, the one thing I absolutely abhorred was reading. In fact, I even wondered how reading could be regarded as a real hobby. My dad, who happened to be a bibliophile, would often argue with me that books could boost my analytical skills. However, more often than not, his words would fall on deaf ears.
One fine afternoon, I was sitting idle, and with good reason – my tenth-grade results had just come out. He walked up to me and handed me a book, asking me to read it. It was titled The Wings of Fire. And what did I do with it? Well, I simply clicked a photo of the book’s cover and uploaded it as my Instagram story. While not a reader, I did not mind showing off a non-curriculum book to my friends. Who would?
It took me a few days to convince myself to start reading it. Three days passed by as I somehow dragged myself through the first three pages. However, as I kept reading, I felt like I was living the life of Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. Interestingly, it took me only another three days to finish reading the book. I was actually surprised at how good the book had made me feel.
I am now a second-year student who has read more than fifty books so far. My father’s determination to make me a reader was probably the best decision he took for me. It did take me time to realize this, but I now see how reading can be a hobby – a life-changing one at that. It even held me in good stead in my academic life, helping me score 94% in my twelfth-grade exams! Reading also gave me the confidence I needed to interact and socialize with people.
Whenever I read a book, I feel that I am living a new life. Books have taught me the importance of learning from my failures and appreciating the small things in life. A good book tends to relax my mind and transport me to a different world altogether.
Actually, my transformation has been quite amusing. From incessantly wondering as to how reading could be a real hobby, I now go around urging everyone to embrace reading as a lifelong habit.
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