Essay Week 14: My First Memory of Reading

Harry Potter Books

The first memory I have of reading is when I was in daycare and I was reading a Harry Potter book. At that time, I was reading the first book, The Sorcerer’s Stone. I remember this being the first book I had ever really gotten into. I would go to school, and read the book. Then, I would go to daycare and instead of playing outside with the other kids; I would sit inside and read the book. I can’t remember any other book, even up until now, that has capture my attention the way that The Sorcerer’s Stone did. I loved it so much. When I think of that time, I remember having such a vivid imagination and being able to picture myself in the world the book created. I remember having all of these images in my head from the book. At that time, there were no movies even in the making yet, so every image in my head was my own and I was able to imagine whatever details I wished. I was ADHD as a child, so me siting still for that long and having my full attention focused on one thing was a big deal for me. Occasionally, I would look up from the couch I was sitting on because I would hear someone yell outside while they were playing or a teacher would tell me something, but almost immediately, I would go back to reading that book. 

Compared to experiences like this as a child, I don’t get as much enjoyment out of reading as an adult. I think part of it is because I don’t have time to read for pleasure. On the other hand, I think most of the problem is that as we age, we lose much of our imagination and creativity. Some people don’t, but in general this is true. I think my weakened imagination prevents me from really enjoying books because I am too critical and can’t really immerse myself in the story like I used to. So, I hold on to this memory in hopes that one day I will find a book that makes me feel like a child again. One that enables me to use my imagination and dive into the story with my own images being drawn in my head. The closest I ever got to this feeling was when I read The Great Gatsby and the graphic novel Maus. Both of these books had me feeling so strongly for the characters and I was able to imagine he situation as it unfolded. For me, that is what makes reading enjoyable.