Back to the Bookshelf
December 4, 2023
Writer: Molly Fischman
Editor: Alena Miklosovic
I lay awake, gazing up at the ceiling as the minutes passed by–counting sheep in my head no longer did the trick to put me to sleep. I had already tried scrolling endlessly on TikTok and watching a comforting TV show to no avail. My mind raced with thoughts I could not seem to turn off, even at this late hour. No matter how much I tossed and turned, I could not get comfortable enough to turn my brain off and drift into a slumber. After weeks of this same draining ritual night after night, I found myself reaching for one final solution: reading a book.
As a child, I loved to read — I fought off evil wizards with Harry Potter, explored the factions of a dystopia in Divergent, and experienced a tumultuous middle school experience through Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I would stay up late with a reading light, my eyes glued to each page. I read books in a matter of days, speeding through pages like a runner sprinting to a finish line. However, something changed when I became a teen. Reading became “weird” and my schoolwork took up more of my time. Reading, especially for class, became a chore. In my free time, instead of cracking open a book, I resorted to binging shows on Netflix. I no longer visited the bookstore and only read when I had to.
However, my racing mind and temporary insomnia became an inspiration to go back to the bookshelf. Years later, I am a girl who has fallen back in love with reading. Though I have moved on to books with more mature themes and complex characters, reading still transports me to a world other than my own. Books are an escape for me, just like when I was a child. Reading used to be a method of combating boredom, but now, reading has become a way for me to disassociate from life’s trials and tribulations. The stresses of school and relationships disappear as I lose myself in the words of an all-knowing author. Reading provides a place where, for a briefly therapeutic moment, I can forget my cares and go into the lives of others. Books have become the best place for me to relieve my anxiety and stress and truly disconnect from my most poignant thoughts.
Beyond just putting me to sleep or offering a temporary escape, reading has opened my mind to new and old perspectives and ways of thinking. Through different books, I have walked in others’ shoes, gained wisdom from characters’ experiences, and reflected on my inner self. While I am only 20 years old, reading allows me to live long beyond my years. I have seen life through the reflective point-of-view of those older than me, learning from their experiences — like marriage, parenting, and heartache. I have also recalled what it was like to see the world as my younger self, reliving first crushes, high school, and growing up. Reading has allowed me to travel through time and grow as an individual.
Although reading was once my “last resort,” it has become one of my favorite pastimes. When I am driving, walking around campus, or even cleaning my room, I pop in my headphones and listen to an audiobook. Although I initially only picked up books as a way to fall asleep more easily, I now find that entering fictional realities provides an escape. When the world feels too loud or heavy, I can delve into somebody else’s.
