Reading IS Fundamental

How do you define readers? The bookworm-type of people, mostly girls, often wears glasses and walk around in long-sleeved sweaters, usually carrying a book in their hands. Yep, that kind of readers. I want to tell you some things about them.

First things first, don’t ever underestimate a reader.

They may be quiet, nerdish, or freaky, anti-social even, they may look careless about their surroundings and keep their noses buried in a book, but that’s because they think the fictional world is, literally, more interesting than, you know, this one. But what’s the ‘plus’ of a reader? Read this carefully. Readers, at least most of them, NEVER judge a person just based on how they act. They will get curious and wonder what made that person act like so. Because, let me tell you what books told me.

Everyone has a problem. Some can’t hide their feelings, but some are the better actors. That’s why we need to be nice to everyone, because we don’t know what they are going through. Many people laugh a lot and smile the brightest, but guess what? There are these dark nights when they cry themselves to sleep. There are these dark days when they still have to pretend everything’s okay, even though it’s not.

And we don’t know that. Right?

Let me tell you some fictional examples. Leo Valdez, one of the main characters of Heroes of Olympus series, a funny guy, always was the class clown. Jokes and pranks was his first choice of weapon so he won’t get bullied. And the second choice was to run away. The truth is, Leo had a past more tragic than most of the demigods. He blamed himself for his mother’s death. Even his best friends didn’t know that at the first place; because he’d always seem happy.

Then, Tobias Eaton. Some of you may know him by the name Four, the badass, cool, good-looking guy from the Divergent movie. But if you do read the book, you’ll find out that even a guy with a reputation like him can have dark secrets, too. Tobias Eaton had a traumatic childhood. His father was abusive, and his mother faked her own death just so she could run away. She left Tobias in the steel-cold hands of a sociopath.

I also learn that even the ‘okay’ type of characters—the ones who don’t have sad background—will soon be pushed until they reach their limits, and that’s where they’ll learn to be better. Like June Iparis, one of the main character from Legend trilogy. Her goal was to be useful for her nation, but later, she changed. Because what’s the point of winning a war, without gaining any peace at all?

You see? Fiction novels are not only about dragons and fairies and futuristic technologies and superpowers. There are so much more than just the fantasies. If you really look into the story, you will find these important little details, moral values, life-changing lessons. And these are only some of the coolness of reading. It’s awesome how your brain visualizes what you read, instantly, like you don’t even see the words anymore. You see the events. You feel the excitement.

So maybe readers are nerdish and quiet, but if you try to read what they read, be in their shoes, maybe you won’t regret it. I hope this will change your perspective about readers, maybe convince you to read some books, or whatever. Some of you may not think the same, that’s okay, I just need to let it out. Thank you!