Books have changed my life. Or, maybe a better way of saying it is books have shaped my life. I wouldn’t be who I am today without books. I can’t even imagine who I would have become, to be honest.
I don’t remember the first book I ever read, or fell in love with, but I know that growing up I could always be found buried in a new book. At family events, I was the one in the corner reading while everyone else made small talk. At school, I was the one who never heard the teacher say it was time to put down our books and move on to math, so engrossed was I in the adventures within the pages of my story.
I scarified sleep and eyesight staying up until the wee hours of the morning reading by flashlight, and never once regretted it.
My official bio reads that I was born with ink in my veins and magic in my heart, and that’s not too far off the mark. From my earliest memories, I loved and craved the written word. As soon as I could put my own words on paper, I penned stories to share with others. By the time I ran out of teeth to sell to the Tooth Fairy, I had stories and poems to sell to my first paying customers of family and neighbors.
In fact, one of my earliest tales, The Village of Antville, inspired the movie Ants, though I was obviously not credited for this! I learned early on that the Universe has a way of pooling all ideas, and if you don’t manifest them yourself, someone else will. I learned to act, and took risks to go pro in my writing at the earliest possible moment.
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I’ve regretted reading into the wee hours the next morning at work when I’m bleary eyed, but I don’t learn anything because I do the same dumb thing the next night too. 😀
Ha! Well, maybe I have too, but I guess if I *really* regretted it, I’d stop doing it, right?
“I learned early on that the Universe has a way of pooling all ideas, and if you don’t manifest them yourself, someone else will.” …Indeed! I’ve got an “Ant story” in me too 😉 Great article!
Here’s to the Ant Stories in us all! Thanks! 🙂
Unfortunately I know what it is like without books. And the reason I know is that, up until I was 44yr. I hated to read lol….until my daughter in law talked me into reading Twilight, and believe me when I seen the size of that book, I told her it would take me forever to read that book, but you know I not only read that one, but the entire saga twice. And that is what started my addiction for reading. I will be 49 on the 20th of this month and you would not believe the library I have. And I treasure each and everyone of them as just one more accomplishment. I am not in a good place mainly due to being physically disable, but even if I were able to work and was in perfect shape, I do not comprehend as well as I should when reading. I have gotten better since I started reading. I have always been able to read, but I think my life would have been a better life if I had found this love of reading at a younger age. So if there are any young people out there reading this, please don’t stop trying to find the type of book that will give you at a young age what I did not look for and find until I was 44yr.
Happy reading and writing*
Teresa Lloyd
tess102063@yahoo.com
Thank you for sharing your story! I’m so glad you finally found the books to ignite in you a love for reading and I admire your commitment to keep reading, even when it’s challenging! What an inspiring story! 🙂