Reading

Lieutenant Commander La Forge loves to read

Reading is an instrumental part of conveying information. It is easy to take for granted the amount one can learn from a book. I have grown to enjoy reading more and more. It is a skill just like any other. It takes time, patience, and the understanding that you get a little bit better with every page you read.

Every book is another opportunity. If you walk into a bookstore it easy to see just how much is out there. Like life there are an almost infinite amount of directions to go in. Learn to cook, learn about economics, journey into a fantasy. It is interesting to see that when people have told me to read I have shyed away from it. As I have matured I have become better about finishing the readings assigned to myself. Further, there is so much to do in a normal life, where you actually have a job, family, or things to do, that reading can take a back seat. It may be unrealistic to dedicate a great deal of one's time to reading.

That being said the one thing I think is unique to reading as opposed to other forms of information conveyence is the uniqueness of the imagery created in our own heads. The pictures that develop in our own thoughts are unique to every individual. I know movies have made it possible to see characters therefore making them less unique. Fortunately, not all books have been warped into movies. I like thinking of characters of fiction in my own ways. In a way I am contributing to the story, albeit on a miniscule level, by adding in my own details. Too many other forms of information just try to tell you want to see, feel, or think. A book may try to do this, but in the end it is really left to our own interpretations.

Further, the process of finishing a book is analogous to many obstacles in our lives. Each new endeavor starts out in a different way. Some things may push us away, and we may be afraid to really get through those first stages. At some point it begins to fall into place and we become hooked. Each page, and chapter becomes the reward. Then before you know it the end arrives.