Settling in with a book, whether true or fictional, is like embarking on an adventure without actually going anywhere. Reading a story lets me be engrossed in living another life. I am able to see through the eyes of a character and share the experience as the character grows and learns. Reading inspires me to reflect on and write stories of my own.

   Many of my classmates consider reading and writing to be very boring activities, something that they do not want to spend their free time doing. They reject the notion that reading and writing have value. It always made me feel a bit embarrassed to admit that I like to read. Most often whenever I did talk about my love of reading, I would commonly receive strange looks. Thankfully, that is no longer a concern of mine.

   One writer I thought I would never like became one of my favorites. I was first introduced to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s writings as assigned reading for school. My first impression was that it was one of the most difficult texts I had ever undertaken. It took me a significant amount of time just to decipher the style in which he wrote. As I gained an understanding of his style, I really came to enjoy his writing technique. Even though many view Hawthorne’s writing as out of date when it comes to modern literature, Hawthorne shows many relevant themes of psychology and human nature through his clever use of allegory and symbol. Many of the themes he wrote address controversies that are still prevalent today.

   One story in particular really helped further my passion for both reading and writing. In the story “The Artist of the Beautiful,” one of the main themes is the concept of beauty. The message is that not every pursuit needs to have a purpose, that there are some things in life that are worth doing just for the sake of doing them. I relate this to reading and writing because, though some people see no benefit in reading books, they believe that having a career in writing is a dead end- a hopeless career path. I, on the contrary, believe that people should do what they love. My love for reading has brought me much pleasure and the desire to put my own thoughts on paper. I look forward to the college experience in order to expand and further refine my love of reading and creative writing and to truly expand my appreciation of expressive thought.

   I have learned in my classes that reading, beyond inspiration, can make people more empathetic. I find this is definitely true. When I am reading, I become engrossed in the point of view of the speaker, I come away with insight into why they did what they did, and an appreciation for their opinion that I would not even have thought about had I not read their story. In this way I have found empathy can open minds and dislodge prejudices.

   In a broader sense, understanding someone else’s perspective can help our world today. I believe the more empathy people have for the outlooks of others the more compassionate they become. From our personal relationships to the relationships of our country around the world, I believe that an understanding of where the other side is ‘coming from’ is crucial to building trust, maintaining society, and ultimately to world peace, prosperity, and possibly even to the future of mankind. Wow! And all this from reading a good book!