Jonathan Chagolla
English 100 Ways of the Book
The brain works in mysterious ways when we read. We may physically be in a bus crowded with people, while our mind is elsewhere; in a castle with hobbits fighting off a vicious dragon. But other than just imagination and creativity, what else are we feeding our minds? Has our precious time gone to waste, or can we actually put it to good use? My philosophy of reading is all about finding purpose. The text needs to inform and inspire the reader to change or care for important issues in their life and in the world around them. The text should help a reader to become a better human and spark others to do the same while working as a collective.
Dana Gouia mentioned similar ideas in the reference titled, "On the importance of reading" by pointing out that generation X is not reading at all. Generation X is distracted by the new technology that is continuously advancing what seems like every week. This rise in technology puts an emphasis on making life more convenient and by convenient it means no more physical books. The downside is that this ‘book’ is attached to a device that branches off into many obvious distractions. Even if we read books on our tablets or phones, one little notification throws off our concentration and we never finish the book that we started. Our time in life is rushed because of the sense of efficacy we try to create in our mind. Malcolm X learned to read in jail and in the era when technology was just a fantasy. He explains that once he started reading his mind was completely open. The band in his eyes was removed. In his text he continuously mentioned learning of war stories and cultural leaders that changed human thinking. He was hooked; he saw a purpose in life all because of books.
No one was born with a manual that shows you what choices to make or how to live life the right way. But as humans have become more civilized we have written guides and shared our own life experiences through books. In some cases we have shared our experiences in a creative way. Autobiographies reveal experiences of success and failure from the person’s own point of view. These types of books have purpose and can allow a reader to improve his life by learning about the mistakes of others. It also inspires ambition in younger readers, an ambition that can lead to becoming a President, firefighter, or anything that they desire.
When I was younger I was a huge basketball fan. I looked up to Magic Johnson and his great charity devoted to Aids which he worked on off the court. He could have been distraught and brought down when he found out he was a victim but instead he united with others and raised awareness and funded research to find a cure. How do I know all of this? By simply reading a book in the second grade that not only entertained me with the idea of basketball, but inspired me to better myself the way he did. As a reader I found a purpose in the book that I read and was able to apply it to my own choices. Books should be able to create a fire in the hearts of readers. After I was finished reading the book I told my mom to donate to his charity and kept begging her every month to give