Three words that bring pain to my heart and soul, yet heard so often.

Alternate versions of this include,
“I don’t like reading.”
“I don’t read.”
“I’m not much of a reader.”

However, beneath the surface of the statement is something much deeper to evoke that response. To use the word hate on an action that has literally transformed society, pulling us into the Enlightenment Era, seems strange.

And yet, I get it.

With decreased attention spans and classrooms that prioritize standardized evaluations over discovery and joy, reading is a chore.

To make matters worse, we’ve created a hierarchy of what qualifies as “good” reading. We’ve absconded “real” books to the judgment of academics and literary critics who have cast aside the marvels of genre writers, graphic novels and children’s books (Ursula K. Le Guin had a lot to say on that matter).

We’ve also punished students by telling them what books they should be reading and forcing their compliance through… you guessed it… more testing, instead of letting them discover literature for themselves while challenging them along the way.

It’s no wonder why reading is met with such response from people. They find it frustrating, difficult and are made to feel stupid by it.

This is incredibly unfortunate with the multitude of outstanding books, authors and mediums in which to access them today.

Let’s be clear, there never was a golden era where everybody sat down and read.

But, we can usher in a new era where more people are willing to find solace in the written word. All it takes is a bit of encouragement and invitation to see what’s out there.