Reading culture

Is reading your ‘thing’?〝Sure as hell no.〞〝What? You DO read?〞〝Only boring people read〞These’re what I got from people around me.

So, are you into reading?

Lots of people prefer watching TV than reading. Because it takes much more effort to read and understand texts than simply getting visuals from TV. Our brain favors visuals. So do we. Because we’re lazy.

Here in Hong Kong, reading isn’t popular. We value money, not texts. We spend time on things that get us more money, not hobbits. It’s realisitic. Most Hong Kong people follow that. Ask around here what their hobbit is and most likely you’ll get ‘nothing’, ‘travelling’, ‘watching TV’…In one out of ten or even twenty you may get an answer ‘reading’. Library? Only the elderly go. Cafe?〝It’s for eating!〞How about train? Are you kidding? Not even one person. It’s all smartphones.

So when I talked to a friend from US, I was amazed by the reading culture. Sure not everyone loves it, but lots of them read. They read because they want to. Not because they’re forced to do so. They read because they love texts. The fancy, decent phrases that make our words vivid.

Reading is a hobbit. It’s also a habit. We takes time to establish one. If you find reading interesting or want to learn from books, start reading NOW. It doesn’t need to be academic, technical or anything. Just pick what you like. Travelling journey. Love story. Or even a cookbook. What’s important is to read in routine. Everyday is too much? Try every week instead. Or even every month. You can always change your routine. I’ve a reading routine too – I read every night before sleep. And how much have I learned since I started this habit? Countless.

No matter what your country’s reading culture is, keep reading. As Joseph Addison said,

Reading is a basic tool in the living of a good life.