On Reading

Such a mundane event but so rich in realization...

I was browsing through the stacks of the budget book shop in Trinoma when I noticed a security guard among the book prowlers. I first thought that Kuya Guard was just going about his rounds, nonchalantly observing the people in an effort to discourage a patron from going klepto. His presence was such an interesting sight for me that I also observed him from a distance. Then I noticed that my first impression was false - Kuya Guard was actively scanning the titles and he was picking out books from the shelves and scanning them. And then it hit me...

Too often, bibliophiles such as myself are guilty of this ivory-tower thinking: that reading is an enclave only for those of a certain social status (in short sosyal kaming mga readers, lalo na ang mga nagbabasa ng classics at nobel prize winners. hmp!) and even educational attainment (hoy! matatalino kami no! dats why we read...define 'praxis' nga?) I guess that was the framework operating in my mind when the presence of a security guard among the book shelves - searching for a good book and counting his money to see if it would fit in his admittedly tight budget - was quite a surprise for me.

Then I realized that reading, the pursuit of knowledge, is the most democratic of endeavors. You do not need to be a graduate student to pursue your interest in literature, you do not need to be well-versed in literary theory to enjoy a good read...all it takes is a willingness to reach out, open your mind, and let yourself into a whole new brand of experience that a good book can provide.

It is therefore not out of intellectual snobbery that avid book readers such as myself compose posts and updates on whatever tome we have our hands on. I just want to share with you all the joy I get whenever I read and enjoy whatever new knowledge or experience I get from the books. You may not know who H.P. Lovecraft or H.G. Wells are, or even distinguish between Anais Nin and Ayn Rand, or whose Bronte sister is whom, but if you are interested to view a world through the eyes of another, through interesting lenses and vistas, pick up a book, whatever genre it is (sige na nga, Twilight is okay...), and embark on your own journey.

We may be traveling through different streams, but once we find ourselves lost in the ocean of knowledge, we're bound to bump into each other. Take that first step, turn that first page, and see you around...