Why I Shout So Much About Reading

 "Why do you shout about reading so much like this?"

You might have wondered and would like to ask me, if you had the opportunity. Let me save you the stress, you'll be reading the answer in a bit.

But first, have you read this year, this month, this week, today? What did you read and for how long? Did you meditate on what you read and draw up an action plan on how to infuse what you learnt into your life's system?

I'm proud of you mehn!

So growing up, my parents really did a good job trying to inculcate the reading culture in all of us. My mum and her sisters were the reading type and would buy and exchange novels on crime, law etc

Both of my parents studied English Language in university and so we had a vast range of literature books at home. Some in twos sef, 'cos two of them bought their individual copies and so we always had plenty of books at home.

From Things Fall Apart and Anthills of the Savannah by Chinua Achebe, The Beautiful Ones are not Yet Born by Ayi Kwei Armah, Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again and The gods are not to Blame by Ola Rotimi...

Then internationally authored fiction books by the likes of  Mary Higgins Clark, Clara Higgins Clark, Sidney Sheldon, Luance Rice, Steven King, Jonathan Kellerman etc etc

Inspirational and motivational books like Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, Gifted Hands and Think Big by Ben Carson were also at home and a lot more.

I'm very much familiar with plenty of books of all kinds because I literally grew up in a library. We even gave out books that had been read to our cousins.

You see the way people take phones to the toilet now and spend so much time there? 

That's how my sister usually took books to the toilet and would forget herself reading there.

She'd also burn the midnight candle reading beautiful stories. Same as my brother. 

And my mum loved that they read, she'd return from work severally with new books that'd gladden them all the more, especially during the holidays. 

I'm sure at this point you're asking where I was in the picture. My people, I was busy watching Telemundo and all the other telenovellas then. I was legit a die hard movie addict. Gosh! I could spend an entire night watching Philippinos novella almost all week.

I wasn't the reading type o. And seriously, I wish it wasn't like that. E pain me sha. But we move.

Now, I did read a few times, especially love stories but I wasn't in love with reading. There was nothing intentional, strategic or habitual about it. I read maybe one or two books an entire year. And now that I remember, I really cringe. I even remember re-reading some books several times because of how interesting I found them. Instead of me just moving on to other books. #Smh

There were always plenty books at home and even in my aunt's house, but baby girl wasn't the 'reading type' mtchewww

Then just a few years ago, about the time I gained admission into the university, I started reading. Like really reading and it was like a scale was taken off my eyes. I began to see how much I had missed and would ask myself why I didn't at least give it a harder try then.

With each book I read now, I'm usually like, you should have read this ten years ago na. Chai! I've not scratched the surface of all I want to read yet, so many books and so little time, sincerely. Sometimes, I wish there's a technology that can make me plug a book to my head and have it downloaded into my brain in seconds.

But no hurry, I'll take it one at a time.

So when people say I'm not a movie person and all that I just smile. I mean, you really don't know where I'm coming from and how addicted I was before. I had to go from a hundred to zero. I just realized I had lost the desire for movies and that's such a big win.

I mean...I used to know the entire schedule of the movies shown on Telemundo offhand then, I also knew all the actors and their profiles. Cos I'd research about them too. I especially love their names, that's where I got the flair for Mexican and Spanish names...good old Telemundo, Eva plus and all the other channels on DSTV where they show those movies.

Things are way different now, and I can go an entire year without watching a movie, no matter the hype going on about that movie. Lol. It sounds weird to some people, but I want to believe it comes with age and maybe seasons. 

So basically, my goal is to redeem the time, or at least try to. I want to read all I missed or at least read half of it. And also help you not make the same mistake. That's why you see all this gra-gra. 

When I see people who don't read now, I just can't stand it. Like how can you not be reading?????? Hey!!!!!!

Please read. Develop the habit, be consistent, read different genres and categories. Read wide, just read.

This is not to say you shouldn't watch movies again o, far from it. Do so, but in controlled portions. There are actually many movies that teach you a lot too and some books even have movies. So you see...

But for me, I'll pass biko. I've watched enough movies for my entire lifetime already. I'm done. 

I watched movies with my whole heart and I just want to pivot that zeal to something else. I would watch a movie, be so into it and would cry when the protagonist suffered or was maltreated. Omo! Wasted tears.

Now that I read, my siblings would tease me that I read 'pamphlets' and not books. Crazy children. So because they read books of about 800 to 1000 pages in the same time or even faster than it'd take me to read a 200 page book, they say I'm reading pamphlets. 

I'm not even pressured. The goal is progress. And please, it's not even the length of the book that makes it a book. And I like how this tweet puts it.

So don't be intimidated by another's reading pace and speed. Just stay in your lane and be consistent. Do what's best for you, your journey and your unique configuration.

Now, I've appointed myself as a reading advocate and I'm on a mission to rescue those I can from the non-reading culture that's gradually on the increase today. 

People hardly read, even on social media. I've seen people ask in the comments section of a post things that were clearly stated in the caption of the post. Hian! 

There's even enough good information on social media if you follow the right people, just calm down and read. Stop rushing in and out of everything. Take your time to assimilate information.

Especially before you comment. That one is social media etiquette for another post. Some people just brush through a post and then rush to comment nonsense. You'd read and know they didn't even understand the post or see the point, they were just interested in letting out their opinion. Nonsense. That shouldn't be you.

I saw something on Instagram one time. One of my teachers put up a throwback picture of him and his mentee from about 13 years ago and in the caption mentioned how she had been such a good mentee and daughter over the years. Only for this woman to come under the post to comment "nice couple, blah blah"

Nice couple bawo? Aunty, didn't you read the caption? Hian. 

So yes, like I said before, I have crowned myself reading advocate. And I am on a mission to make people read more and not waste their time like I did years ago. There's so much I've learnt from books even in this short while and the only thing I say to myself is you should have read this 10 years ago, Nancita.

But no regrets anymore, I know better now and  I'd definitely do better. You too, now that you also know better, commit to doing better. Forget about the previous years and just face the future. I like how Steven Furtick puts it. He said; "don't judge yesterday's mistake by today's wisdom". And I'd go further to say create a better tomorrow with today's wisdom.

Per adventure you started reading also from your mother's womb and are thinking, did you just wake up, Nancita? like my siblings, just leave me abeg. It's better late than never. Like they say in Nigerian parlance; at all at all na im no good.

So, start from where you are now and read what you can. Do your thing. Read at your own pace, start from what you love and want, then gradually gravitate to what you need and fire on. There are loads of books on literally EVERYTHING. Just check and indulge yourself.

Cheers to your reading adventure!

Love and Light

Nancita✨

PS: To all the people I love, be sure to see me in your dreams harassing you to read.

Yes, it's that deep.