I've said it before and I'll say it again - there is nothing like reading for improving the mind.
It's not a coincidence that people have read books to learn new things for thousands of years. And you don't have to read dry non-fiction to do so. Fiction will do just as well.
There are so many things that reading can do to improve a person's mind. Reading teaches focus, spurs on the imagination, and gives you insight into subjects that you may never run into in the course of your regular life. It also improves your vocabulary.
But it's amazing how many people aren't really into it.
If you're reading this column and this newspaper, chances are you read other things. But if you don't, can I ask why not?
I come from a family of readers. My mother's book collection takes up a whole wall of our basement. As youngsters, we were read to, and encouraged to read ourselves. I think I started reading on my own at a younger age than most mainly because I wanted to be like my older siblings, and I was tired of begging someone to read to me.
My parents didn't really care what we read - magazines, newspapers, books or comics (Archie was a real favourite). They didn't force us to read either - it was something we emulated, I think, without even realizing we did so. We grew up enjoying the written word, and that stuck with us. It wasn't until my later high school years that I discovered some people found reading a chore, a novel something they had to slog through because it was required for English class.
I find that very sad.
There are so many other worlds, other lives you can visit just by picking up a book. They provide an escape without requiring the purchase of a plane ticket. They allow you to get into people's heads and rattle around in there for a while, giving you a break from rattling around in your own.
They are, in short, awesome.
And if you don't enjoy reading, I firmly believe it's because you haven't found the right kind of book for you.
I'm kind of an omnivore when it comes to books - I will read anything and everything, voraciously, just like my mother, my sisters and my aunts. But I think there is a certain kind of book that will appeal to each person, individually, that will suck you into reading for life. You just have to find it.
Some people can't get enough science fiction, others like romance novels or mysteries. Members of my family love short stories, or expository writing like that of Malcolm Gladwell. My brothers love books about the NHL or anything to do with sports, my dad can't put down a book about cowboys - fiction or non-fiction. My nephews couldn't read The Hunger Games series fast enough, and most of my nieces love fairy-tales or anything involving princesses.
Try some books, any kind of book. Ask someone for advice.
You just may fall in love with it.
