A Reading History

When I was little it seemed most of my favorite stories had to do with rabbits. I read and reread the same stories over and over again. All of the Peter Rabbit stories by Beatrix Potter, The Velveteen Rabbit, Alice In Wonderland, Winnie the Pooh and others that in some way had a rabbit in the mix. My other favorite was Pinocchio because well, it is about a naughty little boy. When I got bored with rabbits I read about almost rabbit size creatures in the Hobbit and I discovered dragons.

My tastes matured and I began to read things like Stephen King and V.C. Andrews in the dark with a flashlight when I was supposed to be asleep. I wasn’t one of those kids who climbed under the blanket. I would open my closet door and sit in the cavern under my dresses next to my roller skates.

As adults, our life is more exciting and full if we hold on to the passions of our youth. I mean before the hormones surge and send us on real-life adventures. Once we get older and we settle down in a life of adulthood of bills, work, and responsibility, we will fare better in the stress that comes with all that if we read what we loved when we first discovered that we loved reading.

Chase the rabbit down the hole again. Not just by reading all your favorites, but discovering new ones. If you always read bestselling crime novels, try a fantasy. If you have a go-to contemporary fiction author, try a science fiction break out novel. If you never read romance, read one with a steamy cover.

Go ahead, I dare you.

My point is read for fun. Read to relax. Read to surprise yourself.

~Lori O’Gara