Books & Me

I keep my head lowered, I'm starting to feel the panic. The others that are before me are doing ok but my turn is coming to soon. I pray for the end of the lesson, but this doesn’t happen. I start reading and its going ok until I miss read one word which causes some of the others to laugh. My turn is over and I sink into the chair as the girl next to me carries on. This happened a long time ago but the memory never fades. I have always had problems with reading and writing. Through school this was very apparent, not to the point that I was put into special lessons, I just hid myself away, one of the kids that never stands out. I once wrote a short story about a man at the end of the world for a English class project. The story won a prize for creative writing, my mom was so proud. The award was going to be given out at a special evening where other schools and pupils would attend. I was told a couple of days before that I would have to read my short story out in front of everyone. The thought of this made me panic so much that I told them that I didn't want to go. My mom was very disappointed but she didn't show it, I knew I had let her down and even now I regret it. You see dyslexia was never really talked about in those days like it is now so I just tried my best. It was after school that I started to read in my own time. I had always wanted to, I knew that there was some very special things behind those covers but when ever I started I would find it too hard and give up. This was the case for many years until one book. I was at the time listening to Metallica and one of their songs is based on a book called 'Johnny Got His Gun' by Dalton Trumbo. I was intrigued by this and asked for the book as a Christmas present. I started reading it on Christmas day and didn't stop. Slowly I made my way through it and my love for books was born. I absolutely love to read now, even though I'm not that fast. I have spend many an evening in the pub ranting about a book I have read to friends to the point were I thought that they might drink up and walk out. I now work in a book shop in the hope to get more people like me reading, I want everyone to find that book that opens up the world of the written word like I did and pass that passion onto the next generation because the book is the unlimited reflection of the imagination. 

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