How did you become a reader?

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by alucarda

C'est la vie. Because of it I have a unique experiences and worldview in this day and age.
Well, I "earned" my war wound but it was not debilitating. Just nice scares for memory sake.
I did more damage to my continually worsening myopia and astigmatism during those candlelit days and during university.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by cghipp

I feel sure that you mean that you hope there are NO lasting debilitating effects! And I hope so, as well.

Ah, yes.....I'm the king of typos....corrected above, thank you.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Ah, yes.....I'm the king of typos....corrected above, thank you.

Been there, done that too kennyc. Typo's are an occupational hazard of using keyboards I sometimes think.

[jersysman]

Originally Posted by crich70

Been there, done that too kennyc. Typo's are an occupational hazard of using keyboards I sometimes think.

That's what I used to tell my typing teacher. She didn't buy it!

[Geralt]

Well I read his NOW as a NO.
Then again I love typos. They improve communication in one way or another. And these are my favorite kind.

Spoiler:

[Joykins]

Originally Posted by Sydney's Mom

Interesting discussion in the romance freebies section about reading as rebellion. I know a lot of people discovered reading due to a special teacher. How did you become a reader? Harry T notes that readers have always been the minority-so how did we choose the path less traveled?

I became a reader to escape my childhood. Now, my life is so terrific, I find it hard to find time to read!

I can't remember ever not being a reader. My mother says I learned to read at 3 and just took off with it. It has always been my favorite form of entertainment. My parents are also readers but not at the same scope I am. There were always books at the house, and we didn't watch much TV or many movies (these still remain a 2nd tier source of entertainment for me). The library trips were the highlight of my week or month.

[cghipp]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Ah, yes.....I'm the king of typos....corrected above, thank you.

I promise I wasn't trying to be Perfectly Punctuated Barbie - I just thought it was funny because most typos don't change the meaning to be the exact opposite of what you were trying to say! Of course I knew what you meant, but I guess it's possible that it wouldn't be obvious to someone whose first language isn't English.

I actually hate re-reading my own posts because I know I will catch a typo or discover that I left a word out. Some days I can't type my own first name without correcting it every single time!

Courteny - I mean, Courtney

[morriss003]

Originally Posted by Pookeysgirl

My mom taught me how to read. I was about 3 years old. For as long as I can remember I've read to escape the reality around me. Still do to this day and I don't think that will ever change for me.

Yes. For me it was my Grandmother.

[shanghaichica]

I've been a reader for as long as I can remember. I was encouraged to read as a child and probably over indulged in books. I'd be bought books most weekends when out shopping with my parents. If we were out in shops I could pick up a book and ask for it and it would be bought. I was never denied. At school every term we would be given a book catalogue that we could take home and order books and I was always allowed to buy as many books as I wanted.

It probably started from there. Even now I buy too many books. Right now I've probably got more than I could probably read in a lifetime but I never feel guilty about buying books.

I do think readers are a minority. None of my friends are readers. My mum and cousin read occasionally whilst travelling to work but aside from that, I am the reader in my family.

[ruralreader]

I think I was born a reader. I was never read to as a child (neither parent read books) and there was never any books in the house, so I had to make do and read anything I could get my hands on. Magazines, anything I could find when we went visiting, I was reading newspapers at age 4. For some reason I was never given books as a child, maybe they just didn't understand.

One thing I do remember is my first trip to a library at about 8 years old I felt like I had gone to heaven and I haven't taken my nose out of a book since (except to change to an ereader but that doesn't count).

I agree that readers are a minority. I have never met anyone who reads as much as I do,which is a pity really, because sometimes people make me feel guilty about sitting and reading while they are doing physical things.

[rdfry]

A born reader, everyone in my immediate and extended family have always been readers.

[Shushan]

I was surrounded with books from a young age. My mother taught me how to read and read classics like The Hobbit and Alice in Wonderland to me when I was small. Later, I dug into her piles of classics and mysteries with her blessing. We didn't have a TV in the house at all until I was 5? 6? We didn't watch it all that much even then. You see there there weren't many channels. Back then most TV shows couldn't compete with the better scifi, mysteries, fantasies, histories found in book form. (Today some are excellent, but most of the time the books are still far superior) Imagine your best choice is between reading Isaac Asimov or watching Buck Rogers on TV. How about a choice between reading Jane Austen versus watching the Love Boat? :P

Non-fiction was the news and the occasional documentary on PBS (1-3 a week that might be of interest). Not hard to see why reading would win out, right?

This was also before the age of cable tv, personal computers, public internet, or inexpensive home video games, so there was little else to compete with books for excellent entertainment and information.

"When I was your age, television was called books" ;-)

[Venus]

My mom says that I was a born reader. I never go anywhere without something to read, just in case that I might have a minute of downtime. And my twin sister never ever reads. And no encouragement or passion about a just read book makes a dent.

[miklizro]

I can't recall ever not being a reader. My Mom always read to us when we were kids and when we were able we were off and running.

[purple_fishy]

I have always been a reader. My mom used to bring stacks of children's library books home with her after work and I would get read to before naps and before bedtime. As soon as I could sit up and hold the books, I was holding books and looking at the pictures. I don't remember learning to read, I know that I went into kindergarten being able to read better than most of my classmates.

For birthdays and Christmas, I always asked for books or gift cards to book stores like Borders and Books-A-Million. Even now, that is mostly what I ask for. I would MUCH rather have a gift card to Barnes and Noble than have cable TV at home.