Anatomy of an Obsession

I was never read to as a child. I know when people talk about their passion for books, it usually begins with their parents reading to them as children. How the family shared an interest in reading. How there was a wealth of books throughout the household. How reading was a way of life growing up. But that wasn't so, in my case. That's not to say there weren't opportunities to read. Schoolwork was the natural pathway for reading, though it was required. The pleasure came about in subtle ways. I found that by winning contests such as spelling bees and top scores, I would receive a book as a prize. This became a goal, as I tried to win as many as possible. Then of course, Scholastic would have their book fairs at school, and we earned stamps in class for achievements which we could cash in for books. As I brought more home, my mom could see how much I enjoyed this, so she'd drop me off at the public library, where I spent hours exploring - finding a good adventure, and a comfy chair - and there I sat until my mom picked me up. In high school, I was still overwhelmed with required reading, which took the shine off reading for pleasure. It seemed there was always something to read for a required assignment, and the enjoyment left me - I no longer found it as escape, but reality, as I realized that reading was an unfortunate necessity, rather than a pleasurable distraction from the every day. That changed when an English teacher allowed me to choose any book I wanted, without a required reading list. I wasn't buying into it - there must be an ulterior motive, no one allows you to do what you want, especially in high school?! Or do they? She recommended Lord of the Rings - to read as much as I want and write about it - I gave it a try, planning to just read a couple pages, skim the rest, and bluff my way through the assignment - but I kept reading, turning page after page, and completing it within the week. I wrote the paper, turned it in ahead of time. She called me up the next day, handed back the paper with a big A emblazoned across it, smiled, and said, "there's more!"........ And that's how my obsession with reading began!